Moving Away, or Moving On?
by Wisegirl869
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have been best friends since the 6th grade. Then right after 8th grade graduation, Annabeth is forced to move to a new town, for her dad's work oppurtunities. Two years later, Percy's mom gets a job near Annabeth's area, and Percy moves into her town. Soon they find each other. The twist? Annabeth got a boyfriend. *Cover Image has to do with plot I don't own it!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**Just to warn you, there's going to be a lot of song references. Most of these chapters are inspired by music.**

Annabeth walked down the crowded hallway, with her schedule in her hand. Next period was Greek. It was her first day as a sixth grader, and so far, it wasn't all that it's cracked up to be.

She entered the room, and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. She was still four minutes early, and the teacher still hadn't arrived. Typical.

She rechecked her schedule. It said she had to sit in table 3. She looked up and scanned the room. Sure enough, at her table, there was a boy who was passed out in his chair.

Annabeth walked over to the table and dropped her books on the table, waking up the snoozing boy.

"Mom! Mom! I'm up!" He said, jumping up. Annabeth smiled at his antics.

"Oh." He said when he saw Annabeth.

"You drool when you sleep." Was all that Annabeth said.

"Nice to see you too partner." He said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I'm just not having the best day." Annabeth said apologetically

"S'okay. Same here. A couple of eight graders sold me a fake elevator pass. Did you know that this school doesn't have an elevator?"

Annabeth couldn't help snorting in disbelief.

"You actually fell for that?" She asked.

"Hey! In my own defense I had no idea this school didn't have an elevator." He said. Then the two burst out laughing.

The boy looked closer at Annabeth, as if he were trying to remember something.

"Hey, aren't you that girl who spilled all her lunch on that cheerleader?" He asked.

"It was an accident!" Annabeth said defensively. The boy raised his eyebrows, not believing her at all.

"Okay, so maybe it was kinda on purpose." She admitted.

"Why?" He asked while laughing. "I mean I can kind of see why, considering the cheerleaders at our school are snobs."

"She started yelling at me that I was a freak because I hate this one band, that's apparently really popular." Annabeth said, rolling her eyes at the memory.

"What band?" The boy asked.

"A stupid band, called One Direction **(A/N: No offense to 1D fans. It's just not my type of music)**." Annabeth said, gagging at the name. "Anyway, I started telling her she was the freak, obsessing over the boys in the band and making wedding plans for herself and one of the members. Even though they'll probably never meet each other, and the guy is like 10 years older than her."

"Wow, talk about desperate." The boy muttered.

"Tell me about it. Anyway she called me a stupid bitch. Probably the only insult her tiny brain could think of. So I got fed up, and pretended to bump into her, and I "accidentally" spilled my lunch all over her." Annabeth continued.

"Wow." Was all he said.

"What a conformist." Annabeth agreed.

"Hey, I never asked your name." The boy said. "My name's Percy Jackson."

"Annabeth Chase."

"Annie?" He said, snorting.

"No, Annabeth." She said, aggravated.

"Okay, _Anniebeth_." Percy said teasingly. If the bell hadn't rung, Annabeth probably would have bashed Percy's head in.

The teacher rolled into the room (no, literally _rolled_ in; he was in a wheelchair), followed by a bunch of other kids, and they filed into their tables noisily.

The teacher wrote his name on the chalkboard. Annabeth tried reading it, but the letters looked like a jumbled mess. She hated asking people for help, but she had no choice.

"Hey Percy, can you read me what it says on the board?"

Suddenly his features formed into disgust.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" He asked harshly.

"What? No, I just need help reading it!" Annabeth said.

"Why do you need help?" He asked in the same tone.

"Because..." Annabeth's voice trailed off. She didn't like revealing the fact that she was dyslexic, but what choice did she have?

"Because I'm dyslexic." She said in a hushed tone.

"Oh, sorry. I just thought you were making fun of me." Percy said apologetically.

"How is that making fun of you?" She questioned.

"Well, because I'm dyslexic too." He admitted.

"Huh. Well this is going to be an interesting year." Annabeth said.

"All right settle down class, settle down. My name is Mr. Brunner. This year, I'm not just going to teach you the language of Greece, but the culture and the myths embedded in it. But to do so, you're going to need to know your partner, who is sitting next to you, and will be your partner for the rest of the year, no exceptions." Mr. Brunner said.

Groans came from all over the room, but Mr. Brunner ignored them.

"Anyway, to accomplish this I will be passing out a worksheet with questions." More groans filled the room.

"You will ask your partner these questions, then write them down on your paper."

Mr. Brunner rolled away from his desk, and started going down the aisle, passing out the papers as he went.

Annabeth handed Percy a paper, and they studied it for a few seconds.

"Well, let's get started." Percy said. "Okay, name?"

"I think we've already established that Percy." Annabeth said, rolling her eyes. They quickly jotted down each other's names.

"Favorite color?" He asked.

"Oh, that's easy. Gray." Annabeth said.

"Really, like your eyes?" Percy took a moment to look into her eyes. They were very intense, like storm clouds, but still very beautiful.

"Yeah, and you?"

"Blue, like the ocean."

"Cool." Annabeth wrote down Percy's answer. "What Greek god would you be the child of?"

Percy tapped his pencil on his chin, thinking about it.

"I think Posiedon. I love the ocean." Annabeth smiled at him and wrote down the answer.

"What about you?" He asked her.

"Athena, definitely."

"So you're really smart?"

"And you know it Seaweed Brain." She teased.

"Hey! Why Seaweed brain anyway?"

"Well, for the twenty minutes that I've known you, you don't seem like the smartest person. Then there's your love of the ocean."

"Hurtful! And you're not perfect either Wise Girl!" He said in mock sadness.

"Wise Girl?" Annabeth couldn't help laughing in disbelief. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"Well, yeah kind of."

Annabeth started laughing even harder.

"Percy, I hate to break it to you, but you are terrible at insulting."

"I know."

The period went by quickly, and the two became fast friends.

The school bell rung and everyone ran out of the room, passing Mr. Brunner their papers on their way to the door.

"Hey, what period do you have next?" Percy asked.

"Music, you?"

"Music too. See you there."

They both stood up and walked of the room to find a girl dressed in punk-style clothes holding up a boy by his ankles, shaking him.

"Give me back my money Stoll!" She screamed.

"Thalia?" Annabeth asked, remembering an old friend.

"Annie?" She dropped the boy, he groaned in pain when he made contact with the floor.

"I told you a thousand times not to call me that!" Annabeth yelled.

"Oh, Annie it is you!" The girl said, hugging Annabeth.

"Um, Annabeth who is this?" Percy asked. Thaila pulled away from the hug and faced him.

"Thalia, an old friend. Who are you?" Her electric blue eyes pierced Percy.

"Percy Jackson." He said. Another groan of pain came from the crumpled boy. Percy walked over to the boy and helped him up.

"You okay?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, except for the fact that I can taste my spleen." Then the boy pulled out a folded up 20 and handed it to Thalia.

"Nice doing business with you, Stoll." She said, then walked off.

"Hey, your name is Percy right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh. You're the chump that the 8th graders sold the elevator pass to."

Annabeth started snickering.

"My god, does _everyone_ know about that?!"

"Yep. Let's face it, you're an idiot!"

More snickering came from Annabeth.

"Hey! Who are you anyway?"

"Conner Stoll, and I'm about to be late for my next class, so...see ya!" Then he ran off.

"Come on, we're going to be late." Annabeth said. Then she sprinted off, her hair flying behind her.

When Percy caught up with her, she was already walking through the door.

"Okay students, you will be sitting in alphabetical order."

Percy sat in his spot, which of course was in the back.

"Hello class, my name is Mr. Bridgers. In this class, you will be studying different types of music, then learning to sing it! I will need to sort you into different sections, and to do so, I will need to hear your vocal range."

All the boys, including Percy, groaned. The teacher ignored them and continued.

"Since it's a new school year, I've decided to mix it up a little. We will start with the Zs and finish with the A's. Frank Zhang, it looks like your first."

His face turned pale, but he walked down the aisle.

"Okay Frank, sing the lowest note you can, then the highest." He sang the lowest and highest he could. He wasn't so bad really.

The same routine went along. Percy stepped up and did as Mr. Bridgers told him. A horrible screeching sound emitted from his mouth, making Annabeth cringe. Percy turned red from embarrassment.

'_Nice vocals Percy' _Annabeth seemed to say with her facial expression.

'_Like you could do any better.'_ He shot back.

'_Watch me, Fish Boy.'_

When Mr. Bridgers called her name, Annabeth slowly rose from her chair. Her hands got clammy, but she instantly wiped them on her shirt. _'Calm down, Annabeth. You can do this, just concentrate.'_ She thought silently.

She closed her eyes and a low, melodic sound came from her mouth. Then she took a deep breath, and a high, siren-like, note came out.

When Annabeth opened her eyes, she that everyone was staring at her. Percy's eyes were bugging out, and his mouth was wide open.

Mr. Bridgers's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Annabeth, you have a lovely voice."

Annabeth was about to respond, when the bell rung. Everyone ran out of the room. She quickly thanked the awed teacher, and ran out of the room, with Percy following close behind her.

They were walking together, heading to their next class.

"That-that-that was-" Percy stumbled with disbelief.

"Don't worry Fish Boy, I'll give you lessons!" Annabeth said. Then they both burst out laughing, walking down the hallway.

**Chapter 1 will be up soon! But reviews might motivate me (hint, HINT!). ~Wisegirl869**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

**Annabeth POV**

Percy and I walked towards my house, laughing at each other, dragging our long gowns through the dirt. We were headed towards my house to pick up a math notebook Percy had left there. We had just graduated eighth grade.

"I can't wait until high school! I wonder what kind of pranks the Stolls will pull freshman year?" Percy said, throwing his cap up into the air and catching it with one hand.

"Or better yet, the blackmail they'll use." I say, while prodding him with my elbow.

"Ugh! Don't even mention that incident in seventh grade! I'm still trying to live it down." Percy said.

"And yet, no one's forgotten. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Whatever."

I rolled my eyes and threw my hands up in the air.

"Finally! We're free from that hellhole!" I say happily.

"Yep! Now we're upgrading to a whole new kind of hellhole."

"Comforting words, Seaweed Brain." I say sarcastically.

Percy shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm a people pleaser."

I rolled my eyes.

"C'mon, race you to my house."

"You're on."

We ran wildly across the sidewalk, whooping and throwing our hands in the air (not to mention, getting a bunch of strange looks from our neighbors).

I'm in the lead, with Percy close behind me. I almost reach the porch to my house, when something catches my eye, and I nearly have a heart attack.

Because planted firmly in the grass, with huge black letters printed all over it, is a huge 'FOR SALE' sign.

* * *

I stumble to ground, shocked and disoriented. Percy speeds past me, running up the porch, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I win! I win! I-" He stops when he sees me lying on the ground. "Annabeth!"

He runs to me, helping me up. All I can do is point a shaky hand on that 'FOR SALE' sign.

His eyes follow in the direction of my shaking finger.

"For sale? Annabeth?" He asks in shock. But I'm alreadly at the door frantically rummaging through my pockets. I pull out a metal key and quickly open the door. I run through the door, and see boxes all around my empty living room.

"This can't be happening." I whisper.

Percy quickly catches up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

I see my stepmother, Sue, walk down the stairs holding more boxes.

"What the hell is THAT!?" I scream, pointing a finger at the 'FOR SALE' sign.

"_Language_, Annabeth!" She chided me.

"Sue, what's going on?" I ask, taking deep shaky breaths.

"Oh Annabeth, Frederick forgot to tell you, didn't he?"

"Tell me what?!" I was really starting to panic now.

"Annabeth, your father got a fantastic work opportunity, and we're moving to Virginia."

Why does God hate me?

"We're leaving in about two hours, Frederick is calling the moving van."

Then I see my dad, the despot, walking down the stairs.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?" I spat.

"Do what?" He asked, looking geniuely perplexed, like he didn't know that he had just destroyed my life.

"Just uproot me out of Manhattan, force me to move somewhere I don't want to go, and making me leave my all my friends behind!" I scream.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry. But it was a wonderful work-"

"Work! That's all you care about!"

Then I pushed Percy aside, ran up the stairs, and slammed the door.

**Percy POV**

"I'll go talk to her." Annabeth's dad said.

"No, it's okay, I'll go." I offered. And before they could stop me, I walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Go away dad." I heard a muffled voice say.

"It's Percy." I say softly. I wait a few seconds then I hear a lock click, and the door swings open.

I see Annabeth with her arm outstretched and my red math notebook in her hands. Her face looks full of sadness, and light that was usually bright in her eyes was nearly gone.

"Here. I hope while I'm gone you remember to carry over your numbers." She says. She laughs a little, remembering how I had such a hard time remembering to carry over in subtraction. But there's no happiness in her laugh, only cold anger.

She turns around and starts stacking her cardboard moving boxes near the door. A small box tips over and crashes to the ground. Photos spill out, scattering on the bare floor.

I quickly bend over to help pick up the photos, when I come across an old photo. It was the summer after sixth grade. My mom, Paul, and I went to Montauk for a week, and my mom had decided to let Annabeth come.

When they invited her, my mom and Paul both winked at each other, like they knew something I didn't. I still haven't figured it out to this day.

Anyway, the photo was of me and standing next to the ocean, smiling. I hand to Annabeth, hoping it'll cheer her up.

She takes the photo and stares at it. Slowly a tear dribbles down her cheek, followed by more.

Whoa. I have never seen Annabeth cry, _ever. _Not even when a jock insulted her in front of the whole cafeteria, calling her a dumb, worthless, bitch.

Instead she just laughed in his face, and poured her grape soda all over his football uniform.

But now, she was crying, and it was tearing me up inside.

She stared at the picture, tears dripping onto the photo, then rolling on the floor.

I was so shocked, I didn't know what to say.

"All those times we spent together." She murmured still staring at the picture. "We'll never spend together again."

"Hey." I said gently. "We'll see each other again. I promise."

She turned her head to face me.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She said. Her voice was dripping with sadness and misery. To think just minutes ago we were racing each other like nine year-olds, happy as can be.

"But we will see each other again." I insisted.

"Percy, everyone I have ever known, has left, or I had to leave them. I pushed my dad away for months when he remarried. For a year, Sue treated me like I was devil-spawn. And my mom-"

Her voice broke. She took a shaky breath. "My mom, she left me on my dad's doorstep when I was just a baby. How am I supposed to believe that you'll be the first to come back?"

I took her hand and clutched in mine.

"Because you know me, Annabeth. I'm Seaweed Brain, I never break promises."

Annabeth smiled at the old nickname.

"Okay Percy. I trust you."

Then she outstretched her arms and I walked into them. Suddenly, a warm feeling spread through my body, but I quickly dismissed it.

After a few minutes, Annabeth pulled away. It was embarrassing because she is slightly taller than me, and it didn't help that she was wearing heels.

She wiped away her tears with the blue gown and smiled at me.

"Well, I'm just going to change out of this." She pulled off her gown, revealing a knee-length silver dress. Not that I was looking.

She set her blue cap on top of the boxes.

Then she opened a box and rummaged through it, and pulled out a bundle of clothes. She walked into the bathroom in her room, and locked the door.

After a few minutes she emerged in gray converses, faded blue jeans, and an orange t-shirt.

For a while, she still looked happy. I finished picking up the photos and was about to put the old picture of us in it.

"Wait!"

Annabeth rushed next to me and grabbed the picture. She carefully ripped it in half, so on one side it was me, and on the other it was her.

"What are you doing?" I ask, confused. She hands one side to me, and takes the other. The side that she gives me is the one with her on it.

"Here," She says as she hands me the photo. "So we never forget each other."

"Annabeth!" A voice calls from downstairs. "The moving van is here!"

The same sadness that was on her face before, came back. She picked up several boxes, and I did the same.

We walked downstairs in silence. We stepped out the door, and the sunlight hit our eyes. Annabeth walked off the porch and to the street where a huge van was parked. She placed the boxes in the back, and so did I. We walked towards the little hill on her front yard and stood there.

I opened my mouth, prepared to say goodbye, when Annabeth stops me.

"Let's not say goodbye. Let's just say...see you later. Because we will see each other again, right?"

"Right. Well...see you later."

"See you later too."

Then, I hug her. She wraps her arms around me and joins the hug. We could have stood there all day in each others arms; but the driver of the van honked, telling Anabeth she has to leave.

Annabeth pulls away and whispers,

"I'll never forget you." Then she walks away, getting into the van. The van rolls away, and Annabeth waves at me. I wave back.

I take out the picture of Annabeth, and all I can think about; is how much I'm going to miss her.

**Lots of REVIEWS for quicker updates!~Wisegirl869**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

**1 week before school starts**

**Annabeth POV**

Moving was a blur, we took off on a plane, leaving my home. I was crying the entire ride there, and I refused to talk to anyone. Not even Bobby and Matthew could cheer me up.

I'm still pushing them away, only talking to my dad and Sue when it's necessary. But I still care for my brothers. None of this was their fault. They were sad about it too, but not as depressed as I feel.

Summer went by quickly, I spent most of it reading and practicing singing. It was lonely, I had no friends. But I did things with the twins, like take them to the movies. But I refused to take them to the pool or beach. If I went there, it would remind me of Percy, and then the pain would be unbearable.

I still have the photo of him, hidden away in a small wooden engraved box. I try not to look at, because it reminds me of all the great times we had, and how hopeless I feel now. But I force myself to look at it, so I don't ever forget his face. I promised I would never forget him, and I'm not going to break it now.

Everyday when I leave the house, I search for a sweep of black hair, or a pair of sea-green eyes, but have never found him.

High school is starting, and I feel no excitement at all, which is abnormal for me. But ever since I left Manhattan, the days just seem like a blur, with no excitement or happiness, only cold sadness.

I printed out my school list, and have to go to the store to buy supplies. Bobby and Matthew are tagging along, since they need to buy supplies as well.

Sue drives us to the nearest Walmart, and she hands me $300 (hey, school supplies are expensive). She gives me a look of pity.

"Annabeth, when you're almost done, call me so I can pick you up." She says.

I nod, refusing to look her in the eye. She's been trying to get me to talk for weeks, with no progress.

I hear her sigh before I close the door behind me. Me and the boys walk inside the vast store, with a shopping cart.

"Annabeth," I hear Bobby say. "Can we get the supplies by ourselves?" Matthew finishes.

"Okay, but stay on that section where I can keep an eye on you." I say, pointing to an area of the store.

"Okay!" They say in unison. Matthew jumps in the cart, while Bobby pushes it away. They roll away, whooping and throwing their hands in the air. Looking at them, it's almost impossible not to think of Travis and Conner.

'_Travis and Conner'_ I think, and scowl._ 'Yet two more friends I had to say goodbye to.'_

I pull out my silver iPod and play Lithium by Evanescence. I've taken up their band during the last few months. Their lead singer, Amy Lee, is an amazing vocalist. Besides that, their music is somewhat dark, and it's kind of an outlet for me. It expresses how I feel inside.

I scowl again, reminded of Thalia. This is the kind music that she would love. I look at my list. I printed it out white-on-black, a good combination for dyslexia.

'7 notebooks', It read. Okay, doable.

I pick up 7 gray notebooks, holding them with one arm. Then from far away, I hear a crash and Matthew's 'battle war cry'. I start running towards them, so I can stop them from terrorizing more customers, and staring straight ahead.

I run right into a boy about my age, smacking into him, sending us both to the ground.

"Hey, watch where-" He stops when he sees my face. I stand up and start picking up the notebooks, when he starts helping me.

"No, it's fine." I mumble.

"I insist."

I look into his face and see blue eyes, not like Thalia's, but cunning ones. Like they were trying to figure out the best way to pick your pockets.

He gave me the notebooks and smiled. I smiled back, just to be polite.

"Thanks." I mumbled. I start walking away towards the sound of the crashes, when a feel a hard grip against my shoulder.

"Wait." I hear the boy say. I whirl around to see what he could possibly want.

"What?" I ask, impatient. I hear another crash, God I hope that wasn't expensive.

"I'm Luke. " He says, holding his hand out for me to shake. I stare it, not moving at all. I guess I've become kind of anti-social over the months.

"Annabeth." I say, not sure where this is going. He awkwardly draws his hand back, rubbing the back of his neck. I see that he has sandy blond hair, and a strong build. He's five inches taller than me.

"Do you by any chance have a boyfriend?" He asked. Wow, he just met me, and he's already trying to get in my pants? Well, no thank you.

"No, and I probably won't anytime soon." I say, hoping he'll take the hint and go away.

"Oh, you're like that?" He says awkwardly.

"Like what?" I ask fiercely.

"You know, you...like girls." He says, not looking at me.

I scoff and turn around, walking away from the ignorant boy. Typical. The first person I meet in Virginia that is in my age group thinks I'm homosexual. Just typical.

I start walking away towards the boys again, when the boy steps in front of me. My lips tighten with aggravation. Are all people in Virginia this persistent?

"Look, I'm sorry. I think you're really pretty and I would like to get to know you better." He apologized. I smiled a little at the 'pretty' part. Maybe Luke isn't so bad after all... **(A/N: No Annabeth! Don't trust him!) **

"Are you by any chance going to Preston High School?" Luke asked. **(A/N: Don't know if it's a real high school, just made it up.)**

"Yeah." I replied.

"Me too." He said. "Well, I hope we can see each other soon, Annabeth."

"Yeah, me too."

Then he walks away, leaving me strangely happy. Then I hear another crash.

"Bobby! Matthew!" I yell, and run towards the screaming nine year-olds.

**Okay, not as long. But Percy's POV is up next. No Percabeth yet, but you know what they say; good things come to those who wait. ~Wisegirl869**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

**Percy POV**

Summer went by quickly, with a bunch of memorable moments. Like during the Fourth of July, when the Stolls gave Thalia pigs' blood in a cup, telling her it was Hawaiian Punch. When she drank it, she practically choked on it. But she got her revenge.

But it wasn't the same with Annabeth. I still miss her more than ever, I wonder if she remembers me. I hope so.

I'm still trying to find away to get to Alexandria, Virginia, where she lives now. But our family just can't afford it, and whenever I step foot on a plane, bad things happen. And I mean _really bad_. Bad as in, all the instruments on the plane going haywire for five minutes straight.

Yeah, that actually happened.

But I still miss her, A LOT. I don't know what it is about her, but she can give me happiness, and she can take it away just as easily.

Anyway I've been in high school for a few weeks now. I remember that day after graduation when we talked about all we would do during it.

I wonder if she has any new friends.

* * *

I take out the picture of Annabeth, and smile, thinking about the times we spent together.

"Hey Percy, is that your girlfriend?" I hear a voice say behind me. Nathan, a sophomore and another member of Goode's swim team. I whip my head around and see him smirking with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall of the locker room. He has a towel slung around his shoulers.

"Nah, she's way too pretty for Jackson!" David says, laughing.

My cheeks turn bright red at the mention of Annabeth being my girlfriend.

"Shut up." I say. But my face was so red, I guess they didn't take me seriously.

"Right." Nathan says, obviously not believing me. "So, if she's not your girlfriend, why did you say no to Tracy?"

"Again!" David added. "She's totally hot."

Damn. Those two are smarter than they look.

"You call "hot" being caked in makeup, and wearing crop-tops and short-shorts everyday?"** (A/N: No offense to any Tracys out there.)**

"Whatever. She's totally into you, so why not?" David asks.

"Because every two weeks she gets a new guy, hooks up with him, then dumps him. I don't want to be involved in that." I explain as patiently as I can.

"Yeah David." Nathan says. Then he whips his towel off his shoulders and snaps it on David's backside.

"Ow! What the hell was that for!?" He yells.

"Nothing." Nathan snickers. "I just wanted to do it. Besides, Percy has someone hotter to bang, isn't that right Percy?"

I turn even redder than I though was humanly possible. I'm about to hang Nathan from the rafters on the ceiling, when Coach Hedge blows his whistle.

I take back what I said about them being smart.

"C'mon cupcakes! We have to start training if we're gonna beat those slime balls from Lyon! Put down your make-up and get out of this locker room! Hustle, hustle!" Coach Hedge yells.

"Hey coach? When are you gonna stop calling us cupcakes?" David asks smart-alecky.

"When you stop being one, Robinson! Now MOVE!" Coach screams. David dashes out of the room before Coach can hit him with his baseball bat.

The rest of the team files out of the locker room, leaving me behind. I quickly put the photo into the locker, and catch up to the rest of the team.

We sit on the metal benches, and Coach Hedge walks in.

"All right, listen up! You will be practicing swimming with a partner who is on your skill level. That means Jackson and Richards are up!" He yells.

Me and Nathan stand up and walk to the edge of the pool.

"3, 2, 1" Coach Hedge counts.

I take off at full speed, with Nathan following close behind. The cool water runs against my skin, and the water is an aquamarine color. Perfect.

I take deep, powerful strokes in the water and I kick my legs up and down. I see that I left Nathan way behind, and I wave at him.

He scowls, and starts to kick harder. I reach the other side of the pool and turn my body around so I can swim back where I started. I push myself off the side and start to kick my legs harder, and I start swimming even faster.

The reason I love water so much, is because time seems to slow down while you're in it. You feel weightless, like you're defying gravity.

I reach the end of the pool and push myself up. I sit on the edge, waiting for Nathan. After 7 seconds, his head pops out, and he gets out of the pool.

"Took you long enough." I mutter.

"I'll get you for that." He says.

The rest of the period goes quickly, and Coach lets us go to the locker room to shower and change. Soon the bell rings, and I walk out of the room, going to my locker. I quickly put in the combination, and the metal door swings open.

I grab my math notebook and textbook, slam the door, and walk towards Mrs. Gomez's 5th period math class.

I walk through the door, and see Thalia, my partner. I down sit next to her, and open up my notebook. It turns out she's a distant relative, a cousin I think.

"Hey Seaweed Brain." She says. She pushes her chair back and props her legs on the table.

"I see you're making yourself at home, Pinecone Face."

"Stop calling me that, Fish Boy!" She says, with a murderous look in her eyes. I smile, remembering the story behind that nickname.

See, when Thalia was seven, she climbed a huge pine tree in her backyard in an effort to hear the neighbor's Green Day CD playing. After she was done listening, she looked down. That was her big mistake. She was terrified of the height, and refused to come down.

They had to borrow the neighbor's ladder, and Thalia's dad had to go up the ladder, pry Thalia from a branch, and carry her back to the ground.

Ever since then, Thalia has been terrified of heights. And the funny thing is, her dad owns a huge airline company.

Oh, cruel irony.

"Okay class!" The teacher's voice interrupted my thoughts. Mrs. Gomez is one of the few teachers I actually like at Goode. She's really patient with her students, and is willing to go over stuff with us hundreds of times so we can understand it. And with me in her class, I have a feeling she's going to be doing that _a lot._

"We're going to be learning basic algebra today! I assume most of your teachers taught you that already, so it will be more like a review." She says.

Okay, basic algebra. I can do that, I just need to concentrate.

"Thalia." She said, pointing her chalk at her. I thought Mrs. Gomez was going to chew her out for putting her feet on the table.

"Give me a random number." She said. See, this is why I like Mrs. Gomez so much.

"Six." Thalia said simply.

"-ty nine." Travis muttered. Katie, his partner, hit his head with her notebook. But of course, everyone heard.

The class erupted into laughter, and the teacher started muttering about why she ever wanted to teach high school. But I could tell by the twinkle in her eye that she was amused too.

"Okay class..."

She taught the rest of the class, then she gave us a worksheet to do with our partner. Thalia kept screaming at me because I kept forgetting to carry my numbers.

My heart did a little lurch when I remembered Annabeth. I took out her photo, and stared at it.

"We will see each other again, Annabeth." I whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

**Sorry if I'm skipping over a lot of time, I just want to get to the good parts. :)**

**2 years later, Junior year.**

**Annabeth POV**

I stand at the door, waiting for Luke to come by. I see his red 09' Ferrari pull up in front of the house. Bobby and Mathew have already stepped on their school bus, and my dad and Sue are almost always at work, so they're never home.

I step out of the house and sling my green backpack over my shoulder. I close the door behind me and lock it.

I walk off the porch and towards the car. I open the side door, and slip in.

"Hey, beautiful." Luke says.

"Hey Luke." I reply, smiling.

He grins, and kisses me on the cheek. He hands me a flower, a lily, as he does every Friday.

Then he starts to drive towards Preston High School. I pull out a book from my green backpack. I open it up and start to read it for a few minutes. Then, unfortunately, the ADHD part of my brain starts to kick in. My mind flits to memories of Percy.

Even after two years, I still search for those sea-green eyes that I used to tell everything to. I still remember Percy, and still have his picture. He probably doesn't remember me though, and he probably doesn't remember his promise.

Figures, though. It's not like I expected him to keep it. No one in my life has ever kept theirs.

Dating Luke was kind of like a therapy for my depression. When I first arrived to Alexandria, I refused to talk to almost anyone, and I felt like I was left behind, like time left me behind. But when I found Luke, it's like he pulled me out of my hole of depression.

But lately, I've noticed he's been getting shady. Every once in a while, I see that his eyes are bloodshot and red. But what could this mean?

A shrill yell pulls me out of my thoughts.

"You little shrimp! How dare you!"

I whip my head around to see a shrieking cheerleader with a huge purple stain on her uniform, standing on the steps in front of the school. In front of her, there's a short boy holding a a bottle full of purple liquid, with an impish grin on his face.

"Oops, sorry Tasha!" He says, shrugging his arms. "Accidents happen!" He moves his hands while saying this, and more of the purple liquid sloshes onto her cheerleading outfit.

Tasha's head looks like it's about to pop. Someone yanks the grinning boy away before the cheerleader can sink her fingernails in his neck.

I stuff my book into the backpack and sling it on my shoulder. I recognize that short Latino boy. Leo.

"I'll see you second period, Luke." I say and kiss him on the cheek. I open the car door, and I step onto the curb. I shut the door behind me, and Luke waves goodbye.

I walk over to a girl shouting at the boy, her arms crossed.

"You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, Valdez." Piper says, shaking her head, her chocolate-brown braids swaying, and her multi-colored irises staring at Leo.

"Calm down, Pipes." A boy standing next to her says, patting her shoulder. Piper turns her head to face the tall boy.

"I'm serious Jason! Leo's just-"

"An amateur?"

I step out of the shadows, my arms crossed and a smirk on my face. I step forward and take the bottle of purple liquid.

I open the plastic bottle and dip a finger in it. I study the liquid for a few seconds, then turn around to face Leo.

"An accident huh?" I ask sarcastically. "This is permanant ink."

Leo looks sheepish as he shrugs.

"So, what? She was asking for it."

"By rejecting your lame pickup lines seven times this morning?" Jason asked.

"She's just playing hard to get!" Leo said confidently.

"And ruining her cheerleading outfit is going to make her change her mind?" Piper asked in disbelief.

"Not one of your best ideas, Valdez." I say, shaking my head.

"Whatever, Annabeth." He says, and snatches the ink out of my hands. "So what if I used ink?"

I roll my eyes at his ignorance.

"You do realize that if Tasha tells a teacher, that they'll figure out that it was ink, and that it wasn't an accident, then you'll get _another_ detention. The last time you got one was for bringing matches to school and nearly setting the piano in the music room on fire!" I exclaim.

"So? Maybe I'm just a guy who likes to carry around purple ink." He says.

"What seventeen year-old boy carries around bottles full of ink?" Piper scoffs.

"Uh, this guy!" Leo says, pointing to himself.

"Whatever, just hope you don't get caught." I say, rolling my eyes. "C'mon, arsonist. We're gonna be late for homeroom."

"Fine." He says. "Wait. What's an arsonist?"

"A person who sets fire to public places on purpose." I define.

"My god, it was one time! So I like fire! Sue me! Es sólo fuego! Fue una vez que traigo cerillas, y ahora soy el hombre más buscado en Estados Unidos!" He yelled in Spanish, throwing his hands in the air. Leo walks away, muttering in Spanish.

Jason, Piper, and I burst out laughing. I see Jason's electric blue eyes, and I'm reminded of my old friend, Thalia.

See, Thalia and Jason are brother and sister, but they live two states away. The reason for that is because, Once upon a time: Both their parents and them lived together under one roof. But their father quickly lost interest in his wife, and had an affair with one of his assistants.

A few weeks later, she found out. She was furious, and set every photo of him in the house on fire. She scattered the ashes in their room for her husband to find. She took Jason and all their possessions, and moved to Virginia.

Thalia didn't mind her leaving. Her mother hated her, and Jason was always her favorite. But she didn't resent Jason, though. They always call each other every weekend and keep in touch.

I rush to my locker and take out my books.

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that something is going to happen. Something big.

**Review or I won't update for three years. JK! No, but seriously...REVIEW!**

**Teehee...Blackmail. ~Wisegirl869**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

**Percy POV**

I sat at home, at my desk. I tap my pencil across the wooden surface, my ADHD acting up. I keep trying to solve this stupid math problem, with no luck. Mrs. Gomez practically drilled the concept in our heads today, but I still don't get it.

I bang my head against my math text book, making loud thuds.

I hear a knock on the door, and I keep pounding my head against the heavy book.

"Come in." I say. Paul walks in, and smiles when he sees my frustration.

"I wouldn't bang your head so hard, these old books can't take it." He teased, pointing at the old, battered book, with the cover nearly ripped off.

"So many numbers, big mess." I mutter, laying my dizzy head on the book. "When am I actually going to _use_ the cartesian plane in real life?"

"Well, what about maps?" Paul suggested.

"Maps? That's why our ancestors invented the GPS, so poor kids would get the cartesian plane drilled in their heads by the cruel school curriculum!" I say, shaking my fist in the air.

Paul grins at my dramatics, and pulls out a chair and sits next to me.

"Well, what if the satellites break down?" He asks.

"Then you pull over and ask for directions!" I exclaim.

"And if you're in the middle of nowhere?"

"What idiot would drive into the middle of nowhere?" I question.

"One who refused to learn about the cartesian plane." He said, giving me a pointed look.

"Fine." I say begrudgingly.

* * *

"No Percy, there's _four _quadrants!" Paul exclaimed, exasperated. He's been explaining this stupid quadrant thing for an hour, and I still don't get it!

"Can I go back to banging my head on the book?" I ask, giving up.

"No, Percy." He says wearily. I groan in frustration and lay my head on the desk. I sniff, and smell a familiar scent, wafting from the kitchen.

"COOKIES!" I scream, and bolt out the door.

"Percy, wait!" He calls after me, but I'm already at the kitchen.

"Wow, Percy. Five seconds, a new record." My mom says, smiling. "If only you were as eager about cleaning your room." She says wistfully.

I grab three cookies, and start to go towards the table, but my mom slaps my hand.

"One cookie, Percy!" She says.

"But I'm a growing boy!" I pout. She smiles, and takes off her apron and sets it on the counter.

"Fine, you can take two. When you're done, move the plants to flower box." She says, pointing to the window in the living room. "Paul and I have some...financial things to talk about." She says, winking.

She leaves the kitchen with a twinkle in her eye, the same one she always has when I open my Christmas presents.

I don't think much of it, and gobble down the two blue cookies. They're still warm from the oven, the chocolate all gooey and melting in my mouth. I wipe my mouth with a paper napkin, then throw it away.

I get up from my chair, and start moving the large plant holders to the blue painted flower box outside our window. I open the window and set down the rosemary.

I start taking the moonlace to the flower box, when I hear something that makes me freeze.

"...moving away...yes I know Sally." I hear the muffled voice of Paul say. My mind starts reeling with the news. Moving away? But where? When?

I move closer to the door, and strain to pick up a few words. Then I hear my mom say something, and I nearly die right there on the living room floor.

"Percy will be so surprised...moving away...to Alexandria."

I freeze, and the moonlace slips out of my hands and makes contact with the floor with a loud _CRASH! _

I stay there, frozen in shock, unable to move. I hear the doorknob click, and the door swings open.

"Paul, I told you that he'd hear us!" My mom exclaims.

"We-we-we" I stutter, unable to form a sentence. So many emotions are swirling inside me, confusion, shock, and...happiness. Annabeth...I'd be able to see Annabeth.

"It was _supposed_ to be a surprise!" My mom exclaimed. "But, anyways we're leaving in about a week."

"Moving?" I say, still unable to process the news.

"Yes, I got a fantastic work opportunity, down in Alexandria, Virginia. Anyway, it pays twice as much as my job here."

"Percy, are you okay?" Paul asks, I guess because my mouth was wide open. Suddenly run forward, and hug my mom.

"Thank you mom." I say happily.

I pull away happy as can be, but I feel a pang in my heart, reminded of my friends in Manhattan. I don't know why, but I feel like I _have_ to see Annabeth, even if it means leaving my friends behind.

I know, it's horrible, but there are somethings you know in your heart that you have to do.

My thoughts are interrupted by my mom's voice.

"Percy!" She exclaims.

"What?" I ask, still in la-la land.

"What is the moonlace doing on the floor?" She questions, pointing to the broken plant holder, and the scattered soil and leaves.

"Um..." I say sheepishly. "Eavesdroppers never prosper? Oh wait, that's not right."

* * *

**Percy POV**

I stand outside the school with all my friends, saying my last goodbyes.

Suddenly I hear the dreaded sound of heels clicking against the cement. Tracy.

"Hide me!" I whisper-yell, and I hide behind Clarisse.

"Nice try, Prissy." Then she pulls me from behind her, and pushes me forward. She smirks from behind me. She just _loves_ making me suffer, doesn't she?

"This is my big moment!" Conner exclaims, and slicks his hair back and puts on one of those cheesy smiles.

Tracy walks forward, her hips swinging wildly. Thalia and Clarisse start snickering, and I don't realize why at first. Then I see that her face is three shades darker than her neck, and she looks like she took a bath in liquid Cheetos, there's so much fake tan on her.

Conner strides forward confidently, and steps in front of Tracy.

"Well, hello beautiful!" He said, in a way that I guess was supposed to be charming, but ended up sounding creepy.

Tracy didn't even look at him. She shoved him aside, with her eyes still trained on me, like a lion about to make its kill.

"Percy!" She squeals, and flings her arms around my neck, her fake press-on nails piercing my back.

"Um...hey Tracy." I say uncomfortably. I turn my head to see Clarisse smirking, clearly pleased by her work.

Tracy pulls away, and wipes away a fake tear.

"I heard you're moving away," She says with her nasally voice. "I just want you to know, that Goode will _never_ be the same without you!" She put a big emphasis on the word never, making her voice go an octave higher.

"Um, thanks Tracy." I say awkwardly.

She juts out her hip, and lays an orange spray-tanned hand on it. She hands me a pink slip of paper, with her number written in curlicues.

She struts past me.

"Don't hesitate to call." She whispers in my ear, in a manner that I guess was supposed to be seductive.

Then she winks in a way that would have been cute on anyone else, but on her it looked like she had something in her eye.** (A/N: I am one of those people. I can wink, but it just looks like I'm having a nervous spasm. Don't judge me!)**

Then she continues walking, flipping her dyed-blonde hair. Thalia rolls her eyes and sticks out her foot.

Tracy stumbles over it, and some of the pink glitter from her platform heels get all over her combat boots. Thalia looks at the glitter distastefully, and bends down to scrape it off with her black painted nails.

Tracy doesn't fall, which I think is a miracle because her heels are like, seven inches tall. She straightens herself up, and scoffs.

"Freak!" She yells at Thalia. Though she pronounces it as if it had three syllables instead of one, so it sounded like fuh-reak-ah.

Tracy lifts her foot, prepared to kick Thalia. In other words, World War III is about to break out.

"10 bucks Thalia will win." Travis says to his brother, taking out a ten.

"You're on! 10 bucks on Tracy." Conner says, pulling out another ten.

Tracy's heel is about smash into Thalia's face, when Thalia grabs the shoe. In one quick movement, she snaps off the stilleto part.

"Well at least my shoe is still in one piece." Thalia retorts. "Oohs" fill the air at what she did.

"MY SHOE! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO MY SHOE!" She screams over-dramatically. "Give it back or else!" Tracy says, stomping her foot on the floor like a toddler.

Thalia stands up, and walks close to Tracy, getting right in her face.

"Wanna go toe-to-toe, slut? I've got time." She says menacingly. Tracy tries to be brave, but even devil-spawn can't help but cower at Thalia. Tracy turns around, and hobbles away.

Travis holds out his hand, and Conner slaps the ten in his brother's hand after rolling his eyes.

"Hey Conner!" Thalia shouts. "I've got an new addition for your shrine!" She says, and tosses the sparkly heel into Conner's hands.

"Yes! This will go right next to the hair strands!" He says excitedly. We all give him weird looks.

"Not that I have a shrine." He says quickly. Travis rolls his eyes.

"Deny all you want, Conner. I found it last week." He said. All of us burst out laughing, and Conner turned bright red.

Travis steps forward, and hugs me.

"Goodbye Percy, good luck with finding Annabeth." He said, winking.

Conner does the same. He hugs me, and taps my back, probably by accident.

"Bye, man." He says. "We'll miss you."

"Yeah. Videochat me when Katie and Travis finally realize that they like each other." I say. Conner grins.

"I'm working on it." He says mischievously.

I hear snickering behind me, and I turn around. Clarisse is laughing her butt off.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"The she-devil got fake tan all over your shirt, Prissy." She says between her laughs.

"I'll miss you too, Clarisse." I say, rolling my eyes. Clarisse starts to laugh harder, then kicks me _hard_ in the shin.

"Ow!" I yell, clutching my left shin.

"What was that for?" I ask indignantly.

Clarisse opens her mouth, ready to give me an explanation, when Thalia raises a hand.

"Allow me." She says, with an evil smirk. Then she kicks me even harder on my right shin.

"OW!" I scream louder.

"Why do you keep kicking me?!" I yell. Thalia rolls eyes and rips something from my back. She holds out a piece of notebook paper with the words 'KICK ME!' scrawled all over it.

"Where did that come from?" I ask confusedly. Thalia rolls her eyes again.

"Guess." She says sarcastically. I turn around to see a grinning Conner.

I guess somethings never change.

**Please review. They've kind of become a drug for me. But the good kind that cure a headache. SO CURE MY HEADACHE! Please? ~Wisegirl869**

**Here's a sneak peek for the next chapter...**

_Then I hear a voice speak from the other side of the aisle._

_"Stupid conformist crap." I hear a female voice mutter. I smile a little, reminded of Annabeth's hatred of One Direction. In sixth grade, when I passed out in front of her, she told me about her dislike of the popular band._

_What was that word she used? Comfir...compor...conformist? Yeah, that's the one. I remember being confused by the word, but I didn't want to look stupid by asking what it meant. Though, I did look it up when I got home...and it still confused me. Oh well, it was worth a shot._

_Huh, weird that the girl used the same word. I've never heard anyone else use the word. Could it be... Annabeth? No, that's impossible right? But that voice does sound familiar..._

**REVIEWS FOR A QUICKER UPDATE!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

**YAY! Over 50 reviews! Thank you so much guys! Whadday say, how about we crank it up to 75? Pretty please with Percabeth on top!?**

**Percy POV**

"Okay, Percy, here's a twenty." My mom says, handing me the twenty. "Can you go pick up some milk, eggs, and bread?"

"Sure, mom." I say. She's about to close the front door, when she stops.

"And be more careful this time." She says sternly. I sigh, and nod.

I had taken driver's ed at my old school, and I have my permit. But I haven't quite mastered parallel parking yet, so the last time my mom let me drive her Japanese compact, I ended up knocking over three trashcans. Oh well.

I moved the day right before spring break, so I got to spend the whole week by myself. And I was miserable.

Since I haven't started school yet, I had no friends in Alexandria. And these are highlights of my spring break; driving around my mom's car and knocking over those garbage cans. Yeah, that's how bad it was.

And the worst part is that I haven't found Annabeth. I've looked everywhere, with no luck. I'm supposed to be enrolled into a new school, Preston High School. Maybe Annabeth will attend, but with my luck, probably not.

I pull up in the parking lot of the grocery store, about 15 minutes from our new house. I'm caught up in my own thoughts, and almost crash into a street lamp near the parking lot. Told you I was bad at parking.

Fortunately, I slam my foot on the brakes just in time before the car collides with the pole. I didn't crash into anyone, because it's 7:30 at night, and almost no one is here.

I step out of the compact, and slam the door, frustrated with myself. I walk into the little shop, and I hear the door jingle as I open it.

Gladys, the fifty year old woman who runs the store, nods her head at me, smiling. Me and her have gotten acquainted with each other over the past week, since I ran errands for my mom often. It could also do with the fact that once, I took an apple from the bottom of the fruit stand, and all the apples fell to the floor.

Gladys wasn't mad though. In fact, she found the whole thing hilarious, since she burst out laughing.

I smile back at her, and I pick up a green shopping basket. I walk over to the dairy section, and pick up a gallon of milk, and put it in the green basket. I head down the aisle, and pick up two loaves of bread and put them in the basket.

I'm about to walk away, when I hear a One Direction song play. I roll my eyes at the lyrics. How stupid... I guess Gladys is trying to be more 'hip' to attract more customers, particularly the younger ones I guess. She loves kids, and she mostly gets adults and people her age.

Then I hear a voice speak from the other side of the aisle.

"Stupid conformist crap." I hear a female voice mutter. I smile a little, reminded of Annabeth's hatred of One Direction. In sixth grade, when I passed out in front of her, she told me about her dislike of the popular band.

What was that word she used? Comfir...compor...conformist? Yeah, that's the one. I remember being confused by the word, but I didn't want to look stupid by asking what it meant. Though, I did look it up when I got home...and it still confused me. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

Huh, weird that the girl used the same word. I've never heard anyone else use the word. Could it be... Annabeth? No, that's impossible right? But that voice does sound familiar...

'I should check... right?' I think inside my head.

_'No, you'll just be wasting your time!' _A sharp voice says in my head.

_'But what if it is her?' _Another voice, which is softer, asks.

'_You'll just be setting yourself up for disappointment, kid.' _The sharp voice says gruffly.

'_It's worth a try! Don't listen to him, Percy' _The softer one says determinedly.

Okay, I seriously must be going insane. Either that, or the devil and an angel are fighting inside my head, like in those Mickey cartoons.

_"Why, I oughtta-!"_ The sharp voice begins.

"Oh, fuck it!" I say to myself. I say it softly, so no one hears it but me.

I walk down to the end of the aisle, and turn to where I heard the voice. There, I see a blonde, curly headed girl looking at a cereal box, and a tall blond guy, with a hand on her shoulder. I inhale sharply, looking at the girl. It could be her...but I have to look into her eyes to know for sure.

"Annabeth?" I say softly. The girl jerks her head up, and looks straight at me with her stormy grey eyes. Her eyes widen, then fill with shock. She drops the box of Cheerios that was her hands, and it smashes onto the floor.

"Percy?" She says, as if I might disappear at any moment. I nod, smiling widely. Then, unexpectedly, she runs to me, her arms outstretched.

I stretch out my arms, prepared to hug her. Her body collides with mine, and she wraps her strong arms around me.

I join the hug, and I notice a few things. Annabeth is shorter than me, I'm about five inches taller. She's grown taller, but so have I. Her hair still smells like lemon soap, like it did two years ago.

"I missed you so much." She whispers into my chest.

"I missed you too." I whisper back.

"I didn't think you'd keep your promise." She says shakily. This takes me by surprise. She didn't think I'd come and see her? Of course I would've!

"Of course of I would've kept it." I say. "I'm Seaweed Brain, remember?"

She smiles at the old nickname she used to taunt me with.

We kept hugging for about a minute, when I heard a loud, "Ahem!"

I open my eyes to see a pissed off blond guy, who looks ready to chew me up. Annabeth must've heard him too, since she awkwardly stepped away from the hug. The blond guy gripped her arm, and pulled Annabeth closer to him, with gritted teeth. I half-expected him to growl, "MINE!" like a five year old, but he didn't.

"Sorry, you two," Annabeth says awkwardly. "I guess I haven't given you a proper introduction." She pries her hand out of Luke's grasp.

"Luke, this my friend Percy, from Manhattan. I've told you about him before, remember?" She asks, gesturing to me. The guy analyzes me with cold blue eyes, like he's trying to figure out the best way to take me down in a fight.

"Percy, this is Luke, my boyfriend." She says, now gesturing to the guy staring me down. I felt a pang in my heart when she said the word '_boyfriend_'. I don't know why though, I only think of her as a friend.

"Right," Luke says with an edge. "_Boyfriend_." Annabeth glared at Luke, and I just felt uncomfortable.

Then Luke pulled Annabeth close to him, and slammed his lips onto hers. He pulled her even closer to him, and was trying to stick his tongue in her mouth.

I guess that was his way of saying, "MINE!" to me. Now I felt really uncomfortable, and I looked at Annabeth. She didn't really look like she was enjoying it, but that was probably my imagination, right? Of course she would enjoy kissing her boyfriend.

For some reason, I felt like punching Luke in the face. But I don't know why, he's her boyfriend, he has every right to kiss her.

Annabeth pulled away from the kiss, looking uncomfortable.

"Uh, well Percy, we have to go. What high school are you attending?" She asks."Preston High." I reply. A smile spreads across her face.

"Great! We go there too! I'll see you Monday!" She says, waving goodbye, as Luke yanks her arm.

**Annabeth POV**

I am literally on cloud 9 right now. Percy's finally come, he's finally come to Alexandria! After two years of waiting, he finally came. I'm still trying to get over the shock of it all, with him moving here and all. I couldn't help noticing that when I hugged Percy, I felt a warmth that I never feel when I kiss Luke, but that was probably from overexcitement...right?

I climb into Luke's cherry red car, and shut the door behind me. Luke opens the door on his side, steps in, and slams the door. He grips the wheel, and looks ahead at the road. The engine starts, and we head towards my house.

Luke stares straight ahead at the road, refusing to acknowledge me. He was obviously mad, and it was probably about Percy. Luke has some...jealousy issues, I guess you could call it.

"Luke," I start, leaning in. "He's just...well, he's just an old friend. That's it." I say. Luke's lips tighten, and he grips the wheel tighter, making his knuckles turn white.

I keep trying to talk to him, but he doesn't even bother looking at me. I slump back in my seat, feeling defeated.

It's about to feel like the longest car ride in history, when we finally pull up at my house. I open the car door, and step out. Luke does the same, but he doesn't slam the door like last time. I raise an eyebrow, puzzled by this weird mood change.

It's late right now, around 9 at night. I look at Luke with curiosity, and I see a strange glint in his eyes, it seems almost...unhinged. I take out the keys to my house and open the door. There's no one home, Bobby and Matthew are sleeping over at a friends house, and my dad and Susan are on a business trip. Of course.

Luke shuts the door behind me, and he turns around to face me. His red, bloodshot, unhinged looking eyes glared at me.

Then, his palms collided against my chest, slamming me back against a wall. I stand there, paralyzed with shock, as his fist smashes into my right temple.

**Ooh, DRAMA! I just love tormenting you with cliffies, don't I? Reviews for more quicker enjoyable chapters!~Wisegirl869**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

**Wow you guys FREAKED OUT because the last chapter! 20 reviews! Thank you! Also, I'm going back to school. :/ So I'll only be able to update about once week or so. Sorry, but I'll try to make them longer. **

**C'est la vie= That's life.**

**Annabeth POV**

I scream with pain and shock at the blow.

"Shut up!" Luke growls. I glare at him, my eyes filled with despise. How dare Luke hit me! Percy's just a friend, Luke has no right to get _this_ jealous and mad about an innocent hug!

He's about to slap me, when I grip his wrist. I twist it backwards, causing a sickening crunch. I can be very strong when I want to be. Luke's eyes fill with rage at this.

"Bitch!" He yells, and punches me in the stomach, causing me to let go and fly backwards. I slump against the wall. My head bangs against the hard drywall. But Luke isn't prepared to leave me alone.

He grabs my hair and pulls it up, so I'm forced to stand up against the wall.

"Slut!" He hisses, and he grabs my shoulders and shakes them violently. My head bangs against the wall, making my vision go fuzzy. I shake my head, and my vision returns to normal.

"And how am I one?" I ask. Luke's eyes narrow, and he punches me in the stomach. I wince with pain.

"That Jackson guy, you were all over him."

My eyes flash with anger.

"He's just a friend!" I yell. Luke punches my face.

"Shut up, the neighbors will hear you." He hisses.

"Good!" I yell, then start screaming at the top of my lungs. He grabs my neck and starts choking me. I start flailing my arms and legs, trying to hit Luke. But it's no use, he's too strong, and I'm quickly losing air.

I somehow manage to knee him...well, you know where. He screams in agony, and releases his grip on my throat. He crumples to ground, and I start running away from him. I'm about to reach the door, when I feel a strong hand grab my ankle.

Luke's fingernails dig into my ankle, leaving bleeding puncture marks. He drags me back to the ground, and I hit the floor. Luke climbs on top of me, and straddles me.

"Nice try, Annie. But you're mine. You belong to me." I spit in his face.

"I belong to no one, especially not to you. We're through Luke."

I try to roll out from underneath him, but his grip on my shoulders is tight. His eyes fill with rage, and he starts to punch my stomach, each blow harder than before.

Then, the same maniacal look returned to his eyes. He started to chuckle, then he starts laughing, like those cartoon villians.

"You... can't leave...me!" He says in between laughs. Then he stops laughing, and his gaze hardens. "And you _won't_ tell _anyone_ about this." He says, not laughing at all.

This statement makes me laugh a little.

"And why not?" I ask.

"Because," His face contorts into an evil grin. "Bobby and Matthew."

Realization strikes me like lightning. Luke comes over every day after school to teach Bobby and Matthew how to play football. And my dad and Sue are never home, and they won't be for another three weeks or so.

Luke could hurt them as easily as he hurt me...maybe even more. And I couldn't protect them, he's hurting me now.

I put my head against the floor in defeat.

"Luke, I...I won't tell anyone. And I won't let anyone find out." I say.

Luke smiles, realizing that he trapped me. Then his eyes turn from maniacal, to...compassionate.

"I just want you to know that I'm doing this because I love you, Annie." He says softly. I cringe at the nickname. I had never really liked it...at all.

I nod, not wanting him to get violent again.

"I just don't want to lose you." He says. I don't look at him, no longer wanting anything to do with him.

He kisses my cheek, but it feels like acid burning through my skin.

He stands up, getting off me.

"Annabeth, you love me, right?" He asks. I don't respond, because really, I don't.

His expression hardens.

"_Right_?" He asks again, his voice not soft anymore. I nod my head, not wanting him to hit me again.

"Right." I say, my voice barely audible. He smiles and walks out, closing the door behind him.

* * *

I lie there on the wooden floor, my head spinning. What am I going to do now? Just live in fear of Luke? And for how long?

I shake my head, not wanting to think of him. I climb up the stairs and crawl to my room.

I strip off my clothes and try to stand up. I immediately fall down, the pain in my legs is so intense. I manage to stand up, and get a towel. I wobble over to the bathroom. I bend over, ignoring the pain in my abdomen. I turn the knobs on the bathtub, drawing out warm, steamy water.

I sit on the toilet, staring at myself in the mirror. I looked at the filthy creature in front of me. It was skinny, and had bruises all over its body. It had a split lip that was red from blood, and its hair was tousled and raggedy.

Then I realized the sad truth; that creature was me. I stand up, observing the damage Luke had done in the mirror.

He had been careful, putting most of the bruises where they would be concealed with clothes. But he had placed a fair amount on my arms, legs, and many on my face.

I stand up and limp over to the bathtub. I plug in the little radio I keep in the bathroom, and turn it on.

I put a foot into the hot water, and slowly ease myself in the bathtub. The steamy water at first stings my cuts and bruises, then soothes them. I rest my head against the edge of the tub, my hair swirling around me. 'Numb' by Linkin Park starts to play, **(A/N: The link for it will be on my profile! I'll be posting them for the songs I mention. Please take the time to listen!) **and the metallic sounds of the electric guitar fill my head.

The song is about a guy who, in his girlfriend's eyes, does everything wrong. And she puts pressure on him, to be something he's not. And he ends up becoming numb to everything, to block out the hurt.

That's what I'm afraid will happen to me.

I take my hand out of the water, and drops skid off my fingers, creating ripples in the water.

Luke's trapped me like a rat, and he knows it. The question is; how will I get out of it? And how long will it last? I know that people in my situation would report the domestic violence to the police.

But they don't know Luke.

His dad _was_ a cop, and he used to bring Luke to work with him, show him the ropes. They used to watch crime shows together all the time, so he's seen how people kill each other. He could easily do the same to me, or worse my brothers.

Then one day, when Luke was 10, he just disappeared. His dad took all his belongings and...left. He never called or sent them anything, Luke doesn't even know where he is now.

I lie there, deep in thought, as the song ends with a final strum. Then a softer tune comes on, just a piano playing. The station I have on ususally doesn't put that type of music. Then I realize that the voice singing this is Sara Bareilles. I used to listen to her when I was 12. But I don't recognize this song.

_Something always brings me back to you._

_It never takes too long._

So what she saying is, she's free of him, but she still drawn to him. Like a force is pulling her towards her. If only I were free of Luke.

_No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone._

_You hold me without touch._

_You keep me without chains._

Those bruises on my body, I'll still feel them. Even if Luke isn't near me. These thoughts clouding my mind, they'll always be there, even if I don't want them to be. Luke keeps me without chains, because he has something more useful than them. Fear.

_I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign._

I don't want to feel controlled by him, and I used to want to be loved by him. Not anymore, though. I have to pretend to love him, in order to protect people I actually do love.

_Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity._

I do want him to set me free, to let me go. To not have to deal with him anymore. I don't want to be involved with him, but he keeps forcing me to stay. Like gravity.

_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be._

_But you're on to me and all over me._

I can barely stand tall, on account of Luke. But I have to hold my head high, for Bobby and Matthew's sake.

_Oh, You loved me 'cause I'm fragile._

_When I thought that I was strong._

_But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone._

Am I really fragile? I always thought I was strong, but I guess I'm not. But maybe I have strength within, but probably not. If I did, then I would be able to stop this sick game.

_Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity._

_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be._

_But you're onto me and all over me__._

_I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground._

So Luke is holding me down, keeping me from being free, from being...happy. When I first found him, I thought I was happy, but now...

_But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go._

_The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down._

Keeping me down? I guess he really is. He's keeping my life down, if that makes any sense.

_You're keeping me down, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_You're on to me, on to me, and all over..._

_Something always brings me back to you._

_It never takes too long._

Sara Bareilles, surprisingly, knows a lot about my life.

* * *

**Percy POV**

I sit at my room, completely bored. I'm still in shock that I finally found Annabeth. She looked about the same, only a bit taller. I wonder what high school here'll be like...

I tap my pencil on my desk, my ADHD acting up. Suddenly I hear a 'bing!' come from my computer. I look up to see the words '_Greenbaygirl3802 requests to videochat with you' _flash on the screen.

I smile, and click the red button that said, _'Answer.' _

Thalia's image pops up on the screen.

"Hey Seaweed Brain." She greets.

"Hey Pinecone Face." I grin. Her eyes flash with anger.

"I would kick you so hard right now if you weren't just on my screen." She says. Then her face relaxes. "So, Fish Boy. How was spring break?"

"Ugh. It was _terrible_. Although I did knock over a few trashcans."

"Good to know." She said, rolling her eyes. "So have you found Annie?" My eyes light up.

"Yeah, I did today actually."

Thalia suddenly looked very interested.

"Really? Cool!" She said.

"Yeah, we're going to the same school, Preston High." Thalia snorts.

"Really? _Preston _High? That sounds like some stuck-up rich-kid academy." She said rolling her eyes. "Or a frat name."

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. It turns out she has a boyfriend, some guy named Luke."

Thalia looked _very_ interested now. She raised her eyebrows with surprise.

"Really? Annie? Weird..."

"Yeah, I know. I've been friends with her for so long, I guess I never thought about what it would be like for her to have a boyfriend."

Thalia raised an eyebrow at me, and was quiet for a few seconds. Then she broke out in laughter.

"Seaweed Brain...oh, this is too good!" She said in between fits of laughter. I had no idea what was so funny.

"What?" I ask, confused.

When Thalia finally calms down enough to speak, she put on a smug smirk on her face.

"You're jealous, Seaweed Brain." She says matter-of-factly. My jaw drops.

"WHAT? No,no,no! I was trying to express a different emotion, not jealously." I say quickly. But not quick enough for Thalia, it turns out.

"Right, not jealousy. So why are you getting so worked up about it?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I, well...I-I-" I stammer, trying to come up with a response. But what could you say to that?!

Thalia, rolls her eyes, clearly exasperated with me.

"Whatever," she says. "I can't deal with you when you're being such a headcase. Just call me when you figure it out, 'kay?"

Then her image disappears.

'_Greenbaygirl3802 has logged off' _flashes on the screen.

I slump back in my chair, feeling confused. Thalia's crazy, right? I'm definitely not jealous, _especially_ of Luke. For me to be jealous I would have to have romantic feelings for Annabeth, and I definitely _don't_.

I think.

**REVIEW! And wish me luck, I'm about to be incarcerated in a hellhole, where all people care about is the newest 1D and 2 Chainz CD and who they're gonna ask out at lunch. MY WORST NIGHTMARE!~Wisegirl869**


	9. Chapter 9

**Annabeth POV**

**School was AWESOME! I actually found people who were as ****obsessed with PJO as I am. But this boy _thought _he was the bigger fan. Boy, did I shut him up. Anyway, read and enjoy.**

I wake up, feeling like crap. I slip out of bed, rubbing my eyes. My feet slide into my blue flip flops, and I walk to my bathroom. It's eerily quiet, and I wonder where Bobby and Matthew are. They've usually broken something by now. My eyes widen as I think of Luke. What if he hurt them already?

I start breathing faster as I rush out of the bathroom. I'm halfway out the door when I stop in my tracks. I mentally slap myself, as I remember that they're at a friend's house. They're catching the school bus from there.

I walk back to my bathroom, closing the door behind me. I decide not to take a shower, I'm too tired to do so. Instead, I take out Sue's makeup bag. I don't wear makeup, I think it makes me look stupid, but Piper says it doesn't. So, I don't own makeup, and I need _something_ to cover these bruises.

I scrub my face with lemon soap and dry it off. The cold water refreshes my dry face, and the lemon soap tingles then soothes my aching bruises. I zip open the brightly colored bag, and take out a little bottle of foundation. I have darker skin than Sue, but thankfully she has a bottle of foundation that's my skin tone. She tried to give it to me a few years ago, seeing that I was going into high school and still didn't have any makeup, but I refused it. I guess she never threw it away.

I screw off the little black cap and set it on the edge of the sink. I hold up the bottle and squeeze it gently. Large amounts of the brown liquid spurts on my hand, leaving a huge puddle.

"Ugh." I say with disgust. I really didn't need _that_ much. Stupid bottle. I take two fingers and dip it into the liquid. It's cold and gloppy, not a very pleasing combination. I apply it on the purple bruises on my face, careful not to add to much or too little. I don't want too much because it'll look unnatural and stupid. I don't want too little or else the bruises'll show.

I blend it in with my fingers, making little swirls in the liquid. I apply a little bit of loose powder to blend it in. I apply the rest of the foundation to my arms.

I stand back, pleased with my work. You can't even see the bruises on my face and neck, and the ones on my arms are barely noticeable. If anyone asks, I'll make something up. I start walking out of the bathroom, when I notice I have a slight limp. I really hope no one notices.

I take off my faded red t-shirt, careful not to smudge the makeup on my face, arms, and legs, then I take off my blue pajama pants. I pull out a pair of blue faded jeans from my drawer and put them on, then put on a grey shirt with elbow-length sleeves.

Then, I take out a pair of grey converse and slip them on my feet. I really want to take public transit, instead of with Luke, but I'm afraid doing so might anger him. I walk out of my room, limping slightly as I walk down the stairs.

I consider eating breakfast, but the thought makes me nauseous. So, I take an apple from the basket on the table and take a bite. It crunches underneath my teeth, releasing a burst of sweetness in my mouth. I walk outside and sit on the porch, waiting for Luke to come.

After a few minutes, I hear the engine of Luke's 09' Ferrari rumbling in the distance. The sound makes my stomach lurch with dread. He drives up to my house, the brakes squealing as they come to a halt.

Luke looks almost...normal I guess. The evil, insane glint in his eye from last night was gone, and he had a pleasant smile on his face. But I saw through it all.

* * *

**Percy POV**

I sit, totally bored at homeroom, rapping my fingers on the desk. I had already managed to get lost trying to find the office, and somehow ended up in the art room. When I did find it, I was late for homeroom. So, the day so far was pretty sucky.

I hear the door creak, and Annabeth and Luke walk into the room.

"You're late." Mr. Nelson, our homeroom teacher, says.

"I'm sorry." Luke said smoothly. "A truck's engine stopped working, and held up traffic."

Mr. Nelson looked at him curiously.

"Alright, I'll let you off with a warning. But don't let it happen again." He says sternly. Luke nods, and Annabeth and him walk to the table beside me. When she sits down, I notice that Annabeth's arms are slightly purple here and there. I tip my head, curious as to where those bruises came from.

"Alright class, settle down." Mr. Nelson says. "We have a new student here at Preston High, Perseus Jackson."

All of the eyes in the room train on me. Except Annabeth's. She's just looking down, not meeting my gaze.

"Percy." I correct. Everyone calls me Percy, except my mom. Or enemies.

"Anyway," The teacher continues. "Percy needs someone to show him around here for a couple of days."

Excited chattering from the girls erupted, but I don't know why.

"Someone," Mr. Nelson says, above the noise. "Who has the same schedule as Percy. That would be you, Annabeth." Dejected moaning came from the girls.

Annabeth looks up sharply at me. Luke plasters a fake smile on his face.

"Mr. Nelson, isn't there anyone else who could show him around?" He asks stiffly.

"Sorry, Mr. Castellan," Luke's eyes darken when Mr. Nelson says his last name. "But Annabeth's the only one who has the same schedule."

Luke's jaw clenches, but he remains silent.

The rest of homeroom goes by in a blur, and before I knew it the bell, signaling homeroom was over, rang.

Annabeth ran out of the room, and I followed. When I caught up to her, I grabbed her shoulder so she knew I was there. I felt her arms tense up beneath my hand.

"Hey." I say, out of breath. She turned around, and her eyes lit up, and a smile grew on her face.

"Hey." She replies.

"Um, can you show me where math class is?" I ask awkwardly.

"Of course I will Seaweed Brain, that's what I'm here for." She says, rolling her eyes. "It's over there." She extends her arm, pointing to a room at the end of the hallway. I see the faint purple marks on her arm and wonder again where they came from.

"Thanks." I say. Then I tip my head casually towards her arms. "Hey, what's with the bruises?" I ask curiously.

Her eyes flash with fear for a millisecond. Then her face relaxes, and she rolls her eyes.

"I do have brothers you know, Percy?"

"Yeah, but-" I begin. I was going to to say that I didn't see those marks when I first saw her at the store, but she interrupted.

"C'mon Seaweed Brain, we're gonna be late."

Then she grabs my hand and sprints ahead, towing me towards math class.

**So like it? Hate it? Let me know with a review! This is more a filler chapter, but rest assured, drama will happen!**

**Ask me Questions!**

**fatbublebunny132- I know, it's just when you're writing, well when I'm writing, I get all 'caught up in the moment' if that makes any sense, and I really don't pay attention to the nicknames I use. But you make an excellent point, and I will try to be more careful with nicknames.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

**OHMYGODS 100 reviews! Thank you to everyone reviewed! Thank you! Let's reach for 125!  
**

**2 weeks later**

**Annabeth POV**

I sit at my desk, doing algebra homework. I tap my pencil nervously, checking out the window every five seconds. Luke is outside with Bobby and Matthew playing football with them. Luke runs to them, trying to take the ball from Bobby. I turn around, not being able to bear seeing them both.

My breathing gets quicker, and I have to force myself to calm down and take deep breaths.

"In, and out...in...out." I say in between breaths. My mind tries to focus on the problem in front of me.

6y+-8= 10 What is y?

My head spun as I tried to work out the problem. I had never had any difficulty with math before, but now my head felt overwhelmed. This problem was basic, yet I felt like throwing my book out the window out of frustration.

I checked outside again. I slump back in my chair, throwing my thick book on the floor, not even caring. I lift my wrist and check my watch. Percy's coming later for math tutoring. Believe or not, he managed to get lower math scores than he did sophomore year, classic Seaweed Brain.

Anyway when Luke found out, I got a worse beating than when I had to show him around Preston. My left wrist, which he dislocated, is still healing. I had to make up some story to the doctor about how I tripped and landed on my wrist, or something.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sharp knocking. I stand up and force myself to plaster a fake smile on my face. I walk down the stairs, careful not to bump my wrist against the walls. I open the door and Percy's standing there with his notebook and textbook.

"Hey!" He says, a smile spreading across his face.

"Hey, come in!" I say, gesturing to my room. He grins, and we walk up to my room. He sits down next to me putting his books on the desk.

"So..." He says, picking up the textbook I threw on the floor. "Having math problems?"

I roll my eyes.

"Shut up."

"Just saying." He says raising his hands defensively. "Remember that time when you got your wisdom teeth out in the seventh grade?"

"And you teased me about it while I was still on medication."

"Hey! You have to admit a Wise Girl without her wisdom teeth is pretty funny."

"Not while I was on medication it wasn't. I told you to get out of the car and jump into a lake."

"Yeah, and I started laughing at the joke."

"It wasn't a joke." I say simply. Percy puts on a fake hurt expression

"That stings Wise Girl." He says, putting his hands on his chest, as if he were in real pain.

"Whatever. Integer time!" I say.

"UGH!" Percy yells. Then he lifts his head.

"How's your wrist doing?" He says, nodding towards my wrist.

"It's...getting better." I say. I look out the window, checking on Bobby and Matthew.

"Are you sure? You seem...distracted." He asks concernedly.

"I'm fine." I say hurriedly, trying to change the subject. "Nice try Percy, but we're still studying integers, it's one of your worst areas."

"Noo!" He yells dramatically. I roll my eyes. "Can't I report this to the UN? Algebra is a cruel and unusual punishment!"

"No Percy."

* * *

"Slut!" Luke screamed in my ear as he pummels my stomach. I lie sprawled on the ground, with Luke hovering over me. His ugly words pierce my mind, and his fisted hands scar my body.

I weakly moan, but am silenced by a punch to the jaw. Luke grabs my shoulders and shakes them violently, causing my head to slam repeatedly against the cold ground. My hands are in tight fists, trying not to show fear or pain.

I moan again, trying to plead for him to stop.

"Luke...please." I say. To my horror, I feel tears running down my cheeks. No. He will not break me, I refuse for that to happen.

He drops my arms, causing my head to crash against the floor a final time.

"See you in homeroom, Annie." He says, his voice no longer cold. Then he walks out of the house, leaving the door wide open.

The cool night breeze drifts into the house, chilling the blood on my arms. I bite my lip, refusing for the tears to come out. I'm shaking uncontrollably, my arms and legs quivering, not with the cold of the night, but with sadness and anger. To know that I can't do anything about this, except lie here quietly and suffer.

I drag myself over to the door and weakly close and lock it. Then I crawl up the stairs and head straight to the bathroom, which has been my routine after my...beatings. I slowly peel off my soiled clothes, spreading the blood on my legs.

I turn the knob to my bathtub and the warm water fills up the white basin. I toss the dirty clothes to a corner, and stare at myself in the mirror while the water fills the bathtub.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes, and I bite my lip harder. The sharp, metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.

"Argh!" I yell with frustration. I pull my hair, completely upset with myself, Luke, and the world. A few frayed blonde hairs rest on my cut hand.

This is what I get. This is what I get for moving away. A mouth full of blood. A few frayed strands of hair. Two endangered brothers. A crazy, abusive boyfriend. And a broken body. This is what I get.

Whenever Sue dragged me to church when I was ten, they always said God didn't give you more than you could handle. Well, I can't handle this.

"How am I supposed to?" I yell to the ceiling. "How are people supposed to handle stuff like getting sick with malaria, and being crushed by earthquake rubble?" I scream. Tears are welling up in my eyes.

"Or being swallowed by debt? Or being forced into prostitution? Huh?" I scream openly, tears now starting to fall.

"Because I would like to know! Or they just can't! No one can handle things like that, yet it happens everyday!"

I bite my lip, trying to stop the tears.

"Or is it that You just don't exist?" I whisper. "Because who would let stuff like that happen when they had the power to stop it?"

I stand up, and turn off the water. I step into the steamy water, and curl into a tight ball. Finally, I let my emotions overwhelm me. I shake uncontrollably, sobbing loudly and screaming into my knees. My body rocks back and forth, shuddering with pain. Horrible, excruciating pain.

My screams echo in the room, bouncing off the walls.

Here I am, a sobbing mess of a person, crying about things that are completely irrelevant to my problems. Crying about things that I can't fix.

I've seen kids in the hallways who always seem to be consumed in sadness. The ones with angry red marks on their faces, and sunken, hollow eyes. The ones who drown their sorrows and pain through drink and drugs.

And cutting.

The words flash through my mind in blood red. Cutting. Those are the ones who fall into depression, because they're unhappy with themselves, their family, or their lives. The students with the red slashes on their arms and wrists.

Whose hands drip with their own red blood.

The ones who go through counseling and therapy, that never does anything for them.

I've heard that they do it to release their emotional pain through physical pain. A few years ago I would have thought this was silly. A few years ago I would have told them to use another outlet for their pain, not cutting.

But now...

It's as if my body's possessed, as if my arms have a mind of their own. My hand take the small razor that I keep on a low shelf in the bathtub. It reaches up and grasps it, bringing it back down to me. I hold it tightly with my left hand, and my soaked fingers unlatch the blade from the razor.

It clicks, then plops into the water onto my lap, splattering my stomach with water. My shaking hands pick up the small blade, and balance it in between my fingernails.

My arm extends in front of me, and every thought in my brain is screaming 'STOP!' But my hands pay no attention. The steel blade comes closer and closer, slowly inching itself to my wrist.

It's centimeters away, and I feel the cold metal pressed lightly on my skin. Suddenly, my hands go into spasms, as if my brain has finally taken control. The blade drops into the water, sinking to the bottom of the bathtub.

I inhale sharply, realizing what I was about to do. I spring away from the bathtub, ignoring the burning pain in my legs. Anything to get away from that stupid blade. I wrap a towel and rush to my bed, locking myself in my room.

There's no one home anyway. Bobby and Matthew are at another sleepover. I'm trying to get them away from here as much as possible, so I've been letting them go to their friends' houses a lot. And Sue and dad are on a business trip. Of course.

I plop on my bed, curling up into a tight ball, rocking myself back and forth.

"You're safe, you're safe, you're safe," I chant softly, shaking.

I'm safe from myself...for now.

Wow that was depressing...but DRAMATIC! Let me know what you think with a REVIEW! And ask me questions, I will gladly answer them!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

**Annabeth POV**

I run through the hallways, painted blue lockers slamming as students rush to their classes. There's only a few seconds until the bell rings and I have to get to science class. Thankfully, Luke doesn't have that same class with me, so I'll be able to act somewhat normally.

I rush across the white floors, along the black skid marks made by students' shoes. I come to a stop when I reach room 207, Mr. Mitchell's class. I liked him, he was always good for a joke, and was never really that serious with students. Except when it came to The Who and The Beatles. He really loves rock.

I step into the classroom, and I am not greeted with Mr. Mitchell's warm smile and lame jokes, which always seems to lift my spirits. Instead, I am greeted with a tall, angular, strict-looking woman with pale skin. Her gray hair is pulled into a tight bun, without a single strand out of place. I wonder if it's a wig...

"You're late!" Her sharp voice says harshly. I look at the clock hanging above the chalkboard. The bell hadn't even rung yet.

"Excuse me, but-" I begin polietly, but am interrupted.

"You're tardy, _and _arguing with a substitute teacher!" She exclaims, appalled. She acts like I jumped on the teacher's desk, ripped the clock off the wall, and threw it on the ground, her voice is so accusing. Deep lines are embedded in her face, and are even more prominent with the scowl on her face.

She grabs a slip of pink paper from Mr. Mitchell's desk and scrawls something on it, while looking at my ID card hanging from my neck. All students are required to wear one.

DETENTION SLIP FOR: Ms. Annabeth Chase

REASON: Tardiness & for talking back to a substitute teacher.

TEACHER: Mrs. Dodds

She hands me the slip, and her icy-cold hands brush mine. My jaw drops in disbelief. Detention? What for? I had done nothing wrong!

I clench my jaw to keep from shouting at the substitute, and getting into further trouble. Instead, I stalk down the aisle to my table, refusing to meet the stares of my fellow classmates.

I plop down in my chair, ignoring Percy's questioning look. I look at the little piece of paper with distaste, and stuff it deeply in my pocket. Mrs. Dodds looks at me, a faintly cold smile playing on her lips. Her icy blue eyes stare at me, and I stare back.

'Mrs_. __Dodds?'_ I think, scowling. _'What idiot would marry her?'_

"Today," Mrs. Dodds begins. "Since your regular teacher is not here, and I do not know the lesson plans, I will allow you to read or sit quietly until the bell rings." She says it like it's some huge sacrifice, allowing us to read quietly.

I roll my eyes and twirl my pencil in my hands, a technique my dad showed me when I was little. I didn't bring a book to read, so according to Mrs. Dodds I'm supposed to _sit here quietly _for an hour until the bell rings.

I sigh, staring at the clock. The seconds go by sluggishly, and I start wondering if the clock is broken.

I overhear Drew, Percy's lab partner, pathetically flirting with him, twirling her fake extensions on her fingers. Percy, being the Seaweed Brain he is, is oblivious to her nasally voice. Anger boils inside me, and I clutch the pencil tightly in my hands. Then I shake my head, as if trying to wake from a trance.

_'He's your friend. Why are you jealous?' _I think. I roll my eyes and ignore what I just felt.

My mind drifts off, slowly going in a daydream.

_I stand in front of the school steps after the bell rung, signaling school has ended. Students pour out of the doors, eager to get away from the building. Leo, Piper, and Jason are waiting at the large oak tree, where we always hang out._

_I find Percy in the throng of people, and wave my hand to get his attention._

_"Percy!" I yell above the noise. He turns his head at the mention of his name, and smiles when he sees me. He navigates his way out of the crowd and meets me on the other side._

_"Hey." He says, his raven hair sticking up, and a goofy grin on his face._

_"Come on," I say, gesturing for him to follow me. "There's some people I want you to meet." Then I grab his hand and pull him around the large crowd and lead him to the tree._

_"Ow!" He yells when we stop. "Pull my arm out of its socket on my first day, why don'tcha?" _

_I roll my eyes. "Baby." I say. _

_"Am not!" He yells loudly. Piper, Jason, and Leo turn around at the yell._

_Piper raises an eyebrow, her brown braids swaying._

_"Um Annabeth, who is this?" She asks. Maybe she's curious to know since I have a boyfriend. My heart pangs at the mention of him, remembering last night. I shake my head, refusing to think of him._

_"Oh," I say. "This is Percy, you k__now, from Manhattan." Realization washes over their faces._

_"You're the friend Annabeth was always talking about?" Jason asks. Heat rushes to my face as Percy smiles and raises an eyebrow. _

_"Really Wise-?"_

_I hold a hand up to his face. _

_"Not another word." I say, glaring at him._

_"I thought he'd be taller." Leo cuts in, tipping his head and stroking an invisible beard. Jason gives him a weird look, and Piper crosses her arms and rolls her eyes._

_"Ignore him." She says._

_"What?" Leo interjects. "I'm just saying, from the way that Annabeth described him, which was often, he seemed to be taller."_

_Seriously._

_It's like they were trying to embarrass me on purpose, or something. _

_Percy's smile grew wider, and his lifted eyebrow more prominent._

_"Really-"_

_"Okay," I say quickly, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt. "Can we please talk about something else?"_

_"Okay!" Leo says eagerly. "Did you see Coach Seyan's nostrils today? They were huge, like a black hole, and had nose hairs longer than Kevin from Math's armpit hairs! I swear they looked like tunnels!" He exclaimed. _

_Piper looked at Leo with disgust, and Jason and Percy were trying to hold back laughter._

_"Ugh! Leo really? Isn't there anything else you'll talk about?" I ask, disgusted._

_"Okay! What about the time you were caught staring at a ripped up photo of Percy during class?" _

_Heat rushed to my face instantly._

_"Why you little-!" I scream and pounce on him, wringing his neck. Leo starts making gagging noises, and his hands try to pry me from him, but it's no use. I'm a lot stronger. _

_Suddenly I saw a short girl walking by, with auburn hair and warm brown eyes. My hands release his neck, and I step back, a smug smile on my face._

_"Oh, Leo!" I say in a singsongy voice. _

_"What?" He asks, his eyes unfocused. I point to the girl walking by, and Leo's eyes widen, and he immediately tries to scramble away. But Piper grabs his collar and drags him back to face her._

_"Oh, no you don't! You're _going_ to face her, and you're _going_ to ask her out!" She says menacingly._

_Leo's eyes fill with fear. "Do I have to?" He asks._

_"_Yes_!" Piper says, exasperated. "Just talk to her. Ask her out to dinner, and to one of those thriller movies, I've heard she likes those." _

_"But-!"_

_"And make sure to use eye contact! Now go!" Piper shoves him in the direction of the girl._

_"What's going on?" Percy asks confusedly, as he sees Leo walk up to the girl nervously._

_"Her name is Melissa." I say. "Leo's had a massive crush on her since freshman year, ever since she stuck a fake rat down the science teacher's lab coat."_

_"I like her style." He says in an impressed voice._

_"Anyway," I continue, rolling my eyes. "He didn't have the guts to ask her out, and ever since then he's avoided her like the plague."_

_"Melissa has the plague?" He asks stupidly._

_I slap my forehead._

_"Just watch." I say, pointing to Leo and Melissa._

_Leo talks awkwardly, moving his hands a lot as he talks. Melissa is smiling, with an eyebrow raised._

_Jason looks at Piper, clearly impressed. _

_"Are you sure you didn't inherit any of that love magic?" He asks. Piper's gaze hardens on him. _

_"No. I didn't." She says through gritted teeth. Jason's gaze fell, realizing he struck a nerve._

_"Pipes, look-" He begins._

_"It's fine." She says, cutting him off._

_"Okay," Percy says, looking more confused than ever. "Now what's going on?"_

_"You know who Aphrodite McLean is?" I ask._

_"No..." Percy says, looking perplexed._

_"She's the editor of a famous magazine, one about fashion and love." _

_Piper scoffs, looking resentful._

_"It's not that..." She interupts. "It's just...she never really approved of me." She says, gesturing to her clothes. Piper had on a simple tie-dye t-shirt, knee length denim shorts with holes, not with ones that were like that when she bought it, but with ones that were made over time, and bright green converses._

_Piper is really pretty, with chocolate colored hair, cut raggedy by her own hands, and kaleidoscope eyes that always seem to change from brown to blue to green. She's somewhat of a tomboy though, so she plays her beauty down as much as possible. Not exactly daughter-of-fashion-and-love-guru material, but Jason really seems to like that about her._

_Leo bounds up to us, a huge cheesy smile on his face._

_Piper puts on a smug look. "Told you she liked you." _

_"We're going to the movies this Saturday!" He yells, ignoring Piper's comment. _

_"Leo, that's great!" I exclaim. _

_Leo starts talking about how great Melissa is, how she plays the best pranks, and never gets caught while doing it..._

_RING! RING!_

The sharp sound of the bell snaps me back to reality, and I see everyone rush out of the room. I grab my textbook and walk out the door, after throwing Mrs. Dodds a dirty look. Well...at least I escaped reality, for a short while anyway.

* * *

**Percy POV**

I walk out of the locker room, a towel slung around my shoulders. I notice almost every guy on my swim team has a girlfriend, someone to cheer them on at swim meets, someone to cheer for them when they win, someone to comfort them when they lose. Sure, I have mom and Paul, but it's really not the same.

I never really thought about having a girlfriend, even though I'm seventeen. It's like the issue never came up. Is it an issue? Not having a girlfriend? Even if I wanted one, who would I ask? Definitely not Drew, she's even worse than Tracy. She puts on makeup every single day, never wears the same girly outfit twice, and only talks about herself and her problems.

Yeah, being totally rich, getting everything you want, and not having to work a day in your life is really tough! She's a true role model...NOT! But the worst part is she puts down anyone who doesn't have the latest Gucci on, who doesn't eat, drink, and breathe cheerleading and partying, and who doesn't think the world should revolve around her. Yeah, she's real girlfriend material.

Jason has a girlfriend, Mark from my swim team has a girlfriend, even _Leo_ has a girlfriend, Melissa. I'm the only one who's alone...

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud moaning coming the storage closet.

"Oh, Luke!" A familiar high pitched voice squeals. "When are you going to dump the baggage for me?" She whines.

Luke? As in _Luke Castellan_? My best friend's_ boyfriend. _That definitely didn't sound like Annabeth, but it did sound like...Drew?

The closet door's slightly ajar, and I step closer and peer in. A blonde guy and Drew are making out, but I'm not sure if it's Luke. My shoe squeaks against the floor, making a soft squeaking sound. The one time the janitor waxes the floors...

Drew doesn't notice the small noise, but Luke's eyes open and instantly settle on me. Oh, crap...

But instead of looking mad or panicked, his eyes looked satisfied. Like he had been counting on me to find them there, or...he just doesn't care.

I turn away, disgusted with him. I run to English class, my eyes red with anger. Annabeth doesn't deserve that jerk, she shouldn't have to put up with his crap, she deserves a good guy, someone who actually cares for her, someone like me!

This last thought stops me in my tracks. No, no, no, no! You're her _friend_ nothing else! Just a friend!

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Okay, I have to tell her. About Luke and Drew. But should I really? I don't want to see her getting hurt, especially by douchebag Luke. But if I don't tell her now, she might get hurt even more later on.

I see Annabeth walking by a classroom, and I catch up to her, touching her arm To let her know I'm there. I feel her shoulder tense up, and she turns around, her face looking fearful. She relaxes when she sees it's me, and a smile lights up her face.

"Hey." She says brightly.

"Hey." I say, as happily as I can manage. Unfortunately, she sees right through me.

"What's wrong?" She asks concernedly. I cringe at what I have to tell her.

"Just...just know that I'm always here for you." I say.

"What's going on? Percy?"

"I saw Luke and Drew making out in the storage room near the locker rooms!" The words come out before I can stuff them back in. Annabeth's mouth opens with shock. Then she bites her lip, and a small smile grows on her face.

"Oh Luke," She says. Wait. Why is she smiling? Why doesn't she look angry?

"Annabeth...you do realize he cheated on you? Right?" I say slowly.

"I know it's just...well, everyone makes mistakes, right?" She says, a little too brightly. I look at her, confused.

"Every-everyone deserves a second chance, don't they." She looked like she was trying to force out the words. What? She was _forgiving_ that _bastard_?

"You're _forgiving_ him?" I exclaim, angry with him. She nods slowly.

"I-I love him. I _want_ to forgive him."

BAM! The words are like a punch to my stomach. _I love him. I love him. _I don't like Annabeth in that way...but why do I feel so wounded?

"You're...you're not mad at my decision, are you?" Annabeth asks nervously.

"No, of course not," I say, hoping my sarcasm isn't too noticeable. "Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

Annabeth's lips tighten, and she walks into the classroom without saying a word, leaving me alone in the empty classroom.

**Wow! That was long! Next chapter will be FULL of drama, so make sure to read. I'm still trying to think of a few things for it, so please forgive me if it takes a little while. Also, I'm starting a new story, it's called _You Don't...Remember?, _and it should be up in a few days_. _So please take some time to check that out and review it! It's my first time juggling two stories at once, so please be patient with chapters~Wisegirl869 **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! Oh and I'm writing a new story, _You Don't Remember? _I'll post a summary at the end of the chapter.**

**A week before school ends.**

**Annabeth** **POV**

"_No_ Piper!" I yell over the phone.

"C'mon Annabeth!" She says. Piper can convince anyone to do almost anything with just her voice. "It'll be fun!"

She's trying to convince me to go to the pool with her, Leo, Jason, and Percy. It's boiling outside, around 96° Fahrenheit. An old fan blows a cool breeze in my room, blowing my hair in my face.

"No, Piper. Luke wants me to hang out with him today." I lie. The real reason I don't want to go is because of Luke. I'm afraid that if I start spending more time with Percy, he'll get mad.

"Annabeth! You're such a stick in the mud. You've been wanting to do things more with Luke lately, instead of us! Just give us three hours!" She says with her velvety voice.

I bite my lip. I actually do want to go a little bit, just to get out of the house. Well, I could just tell them I want to sunbathe instead of swim, and I can bring my favorite architecture book... wait no! But the words are already out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Sure. I'll see you at the pool in fifteen minutes." Oh god, why did I say that?

"Yay! I'll see you in a bit! The boys and me are on our way there! Bye!" She says happily. Then she hangs up. Great. What am I going to do now? Maybe I won't go, and then I'll say something came up. But she just sounded so happy when I said yes...

I shake my head. I can't let Luke control my life, I refuse for that to happen. If I want to go to the pool, I'll go, regardless of what he may think.

I walk over to my dresser and pull out a drawer. I grab a cobalt blue bikini and lay it on the bed. I step outside my room and open the linen closet. The door creaks loudly as it swings open, and Bobby and Matthew look up from the living room, where they're making toy robots.

"Annabeth, what are you doing?" asks Matthew curiously. Bobby raises his eyebrow as to illustrate their curiosity.

"I'm...going out." I say vaguely.

"Where?" Bobby asks.

"To a place with my friends." I snap. I didn't mean to sound mean, but their questions got to me.

"Oh. Well, have fun!" They say cheerily. It takes a lot to get those two upset, and a bit of rudeness didn't seem to affect their happy mood.

"I will, thanks." I say, smiling a little. I take out a light gray towel and sling it across my arm. I close the door and step back in my room, shutting the door behind me. I take off my tank top and shorts and lay them on my bed.

Then I slip into the simple blue bikini, and turn around to look at myself in the mirror. Ugly bruises and angry red marks cover my stomach, legs, and arms.

"Makeup time." I mutter. I step into the bathroom and stoop to open the cabinet under the sink. Seconds later I emerge with Sue's hot pink makeup bag. I drop the bag on my bed and unzip it. I take out the little bottle of foundation and start spreading out the gloppy liquid all around my stomach, arms, and legs. I also reapply some on my neck and face.

I recheck the bottle's label. SPF 30, it read. Well, at least now I don't have to apply sunscreen. I guess every cloud does have a silver lining. I smile ruefully.

I put my gray tank top back on, and button up my knee-length shorts. I pull my hair back and tie it with an elastic, letting little wisps of hair fall around my face. I stuff the towel and an architecture book into a white bag.

I pick up the little makeup bottle and examine it. Should I bring it? Well, since I'm not going into the water, I don't see why I should bring it. I put the bottle back into the bag and zip it up. I grab the handle, walk back to the bathroom, and restore it in the cabinet.

I sling the white bag over my shoulder and walk out of the room.  
"Bobby, Matthew," I say, trying to get their attention. They look up from their robots.

"Yeah?" Matthew asks.

"I'm going out, remember not to-

"Yeah, yeah we know, don't open the door to strangers, don't answer the phone to numbers we don't know, and if anything happens, we call you. We know the drill!" Bobby interjects. I smile, rolling my eyes.

"Forget that," Matthew says, standing up, "We have to meet Ethan at the park, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bobby exclaims. "We have to dig up earthworms for our final school project." He says excitedly.

"Well, do you want me to drive you there?" I ask.

"Please," Bobby says rolling his eyes while standing up. "We're 11, we can do things for ourselves. Besides the park is just around the corner."

I shake my head, trying not to laugh.

"Well, have fun and be careful you two."

"We will." Matthew says, and together they walk out the door.

I smile and walk out the door to the driveway, locking the house door behind me. I unlock the door to my gray car and it opens with a _click._

I step in, and it immediately feels like an oven in there. The seats are extremely warm, and I burn myself slightly when I touch the seat belt buckle. I close the door and carefully put on my seat belt. I take out my turn on the engine, and the A/C.

Cool air blasts in my face as I grip the wheel. I quickly pull out of the driveway turning right. I grin and turn the radio on to a random station. The sound of Macklemore's _Can't Hold Us_ fills my ears.

My grin turns wider as I turn it up louder. Macklemore is one of the few rappers I like, so of course I'm excited when I hear him.

I laugh as I attempt to keep up his pace in the song.

"Let that stage light go and shine on down, got that Bob Barker suit game and pli-blah!" I stumble. But I keep on trying to rap as fast as he can.

Ray Dalton starts to sing as I stop at a red light.

"HERE WE GO BACK, THIS IS THE MOMENT-" I start singing at the top of my lungs along to his deep voice, earning me a lot of weird looks from drivers around me.

But a girl in another car next to mine starts singing as loud as me.

"TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT, WE'LL FIGHT 'TILL IT'S OVER-"

"AND SO WE PUT OUR HANDS UP LIKE THE CEILING CAN'T HOLD US, LIKE CAN'T HOLD UUUUSSSS!" We sing together, both grinning like crazy.

The light turns green and I make a left, still singing at the top of my lungs. The girl that I was weirding people out with waved goodbye. I waved back, smiling. I probably seemed like a total maniac, but you know what? At least I'm a happy maniac.

The song dies down with a final blast of the trumpets as I pull up in the parking lot. I look above the fence enclosing the pool. Surprisingly, there's not that may people, considering how hot it is right now.

I pick up my bag and step out of the car, closing the door behind me. I lock it with the little remote and it emits a high-pitched BEEP! I see Piper waving at me behind the fence, and I wave back. She gestures for me to hurry up, and I sprint to the entrance, the pain in my legs weirdly gone.

I quickly hand the guy behind the counter the four dollars it costs to get in. I walk past the lockers and showers and to where my friends are.

Percy smiles when he sees me coming. "Hey guys, she's here!" He yells. Everyone looks at me and Leo stands up.

"Well hello, Miss Annabeth, how are you doing this fine day?" He asks in a horrible British accent while bowing.

"Quite well, thank you Sir Leo." I say, playing along in an equally horrible British accent.

"Ah, so you've heard of me!" He says grinning in that elfish way of his. I can't help rolling my eyes while I sit down next to Piper. "Well, how silly of me, of course you've heard of me!" He exclaims. "How could you not? I'm devilishly handsome-

"Emphasis on devil." Piper mutters, smiling.

"Brave," He continues, ignoring Piper's comment. "Humorous, Intelligent, and not to mention-

"A royal pain in the a-" Piper prods me with her elbow before I can finish. But she, Percy, Jason, and I are all snickering.

"Well, how rude!" Leo exclaims, looking appalled. "I shall not dignify that with an answer!" And with that, he runs towards the pool, jumping in cannonball style.

We all burst out laughing, including Leo, once his head popped out.

"So, you came!" Percy says looking pleased, once we had finished laughing.

"Obviously!" I say with as much enthusiasm. Percy smiles at me while standing up. I blush when I look at his chest, a perfect six-pack that would make any girl swoon. Any girl but me.

I turn away and pick up my thick architecture book.

Percy frowns when he sees the book. "Aren't you going to swim?"'

"Nah, not today." I say, opening up to the section on Greek architecture.

"Then why'd you come to the pool?" He exclaims, clearly confused.

"Because she made me." I say, gesturing to Piper. She grinned and waved. Then she pulled off her white t-shirt and green shorts, revealing a deep purple two piece swim suit. Jason blushed and looked away when he saw her. Piper rolled her eyes and grinned, pushing him in the pool, then jumping in after him.

"Well, are you at least going to go later?" Percy asks, clearly exasperated.

"Maybe." I answer vaguely. The truth is, I actually don't want to swim today, just sunbathe. Percy rolls his eyes at my answer and jumps into the pool headfirst. Two minutes later, his head pops up out of the water.

Percy's always had a thing for water, and with that, he can also hold his breath for a _really_ long time. I roll my eyes and pull off my t-shirt and shorts, bundling them up and shoving them into my bag.

Percy's eyes widen when they land on me. I pretend not to notice his gaze while sitting down, trying to keep my blush from flaring up.

I sit there, my eyes scanning the colorful, culture filled pages of Ancient Greecian architecture.

* * *

**1 hour later...**

"C'mon Annabeth, pleeeeaaaassseee!" Percy begs.

"No." I say, trying to ignore him.

"You've been sitting there for an hour with that book, aren't you burning up yet?"

"No. _I told you_ I don't want to swim." I say, aggravated.

"But wouldn't you like to feel the cool water pressed on your skin, and-?"

"NO!" I say. I can't let Percy tempt me anymore, because honestly, I was working up a huge sweat just by sitting there. I have to admit the idea of going into the cool, refreshing water is...NO!

"Fine." He says, turning around. But I can't help noticing a twinkle in his eye and a devious smile on his face.

Before I can process it, Percy picks me up in one swift movement, runs over to the deep end of the pool before I can struggle out of his arms, and drops me in.

I fall in, headfirst into the cool water, sinking to the bottom. I cling to a small metal bar that's supposed to be used as a ladder to get out.

_'That's it,' I think. 'When I get out, I'm going to_ kill _Percy_.'

I open my eyes and watch in horror as all the makeup from my body drifts away in billowing gray clouds, leaving my bruises clearly visible. I hear muffled voices come from the surface, a female yell.

_'If Luke doesn't kill me first.' _I think, starting to panic. I can't let anyone find out or Luke will kill me, he's pretty much guaranteed that. Or worse, Bobby and Matthew.

No. I can't let that happen. I'd rather drown myself and let no one find the bruises, than...wait, drown myself? Well, it's not like I have any other options. And I certainly can't let anyone, especially Percy, find out.

I lay down on the bottom of the pool, my hair floating around me, and my air supply getting smaller by the second. I cling tightly to the metal rung, my knuckles turning white, willing myself not to let go.

_'This is it.'_ I think as my vision starts getting fuzzy. _'It's time to let myself go.'_

I've read about near-death experiences, how people felt themselves travel away from their earthly beings, being disconnected by material objects and worries, feeling a wave of calm wash over them as death began to envelop them.

I feel none of that.

All I feel is dizzy, and somewhat nauseous, like that turkey sandwich I ate a few hours ago is about to make its reappearance.

I feel the hand around the metal rung loosen its grip. I feel my air supply dwindling to a few seconds. I smile a little, feeling safe with the knowledge that I'll be away from Luke. Forever.

Suddenly, I see something, someone swimming towards me. Someone that looks a lot like...Percy! I quickly let go of the metal rung, thrashing and kicking wildly, trying desperately to swim away from him.

I can swim pretty quickly when I want to, and boy, did I _need_ to. I speed off, using what little strength I have left. But it only takes him ten seconds to catch me.

He grabs my stomach and legs, and starts lifting me upwards, bridal-style. I scream, water entering my lungs, pummeling his chest as hard as I can, kicking wildly, thrashing the water, trying desperately to free myself from his grip.

But it's no use. His grip is too tight, and soon we emerge from the water. Percy's eyes are still waterlogged, so he can't see me clearly. I still have a chance. But I feel Piper, Leo, and Jason's gazes lock on me. And my bruises.

Percy lays me down in the chair I was sitting in. I quickly catch my breath, collecting my things, getting ready to run away.

"Annabeth, are you-?" Then his eyes widen. His face forms into a mask of shock.

"Annabeth..." He says in horror. I trip off of my chair, clutching my white bag tightly. I scramble up quickly, running as fast I can, away from Piper, away from Leo and Jason, away from-

I feel a warm hand clutch tightly around my upper arm.

"Annabeth!" He yells. I turn only my head to face him. "Who did-"

"You! You did this!" I scream, then I yank my arm free and run as fast as I can, away from that horrible place.

Leaving Percy's shocked and hurt expression branded in my mind.

**HE FINALLY FOUND OUT! The next few chapters will also be VERY dramatic too, so remember to review and read. Here's the summary for _Don't You Remember?_**

_**Annabeth has finally found Percy, after six months of searching and despair, she's finally found him. There's just one small small problem. Percy has no memory of Annabeth. And he has a girlfriend. A Roman one.**_

**So please read and review that story too, please!~Wisegirl869 **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter! I have kind of neglected this chapter, but the stress of projects and tests are getting to me. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Annabeth POV**

I quickly climb into my car and speed away as fast as I can, ignoring the speed limit signs. My hands clutch the wheel tightly, making my knuckles go white. All the fight has drained out of me, and my shoulders slump with sadness.

I sob quietly, salty tears rolling off my bruised cheeks and landing on my thighs. A sudden wave of sadness causes my shoulders to shudder, and a loud cry of pain. I keep my head down, so no one will see me cry. I won't let anyone see me cry.

_You! You did this! _The phrase bounces around in my head, bringing a fresh wave of tears.

Why did I say that? Why?! Because of course it isn't Percy's fault. It's mine. I should have just stayed away from Luke that day at the store, if I had just walked away, none of this would have happened. But-but...I was just so _lonely! _Do you know what that does to a person? I was falling into depression, at _fifteen_! So of course meeting this totally good looking guy, and having him actually _like_ me came to me as a shock...and it also helped me a little.

But now everything has changed, now, everyone is in danger, me, Bobby and Matthew, because of my _carelessness_!

"And...it's all...all my fault!" I yell in a strangled cry, my sobs overtaking my ability to speak. A startled woman looks at me from her car. I turn the other way, not allowing her to see my tears, or my bruises.

I sob the entire way home, my shoulders shaking with insurmountable pain and and sadness. I slip out the car and walk to the door. I open the door, not caring anymore if Bobby and Matthew see me.

Oh, right. They're at the park, happily digging up worms with their friend, without a single care in the world. I wish I was them. Happy.

I trudge up the stairs, my bare feet soothed by the wooden surface. I feel my head spin, and I have to grab the railing to keep from falling down. My world is collapsing from underneath me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I continue walking up, clutching the railing as if it were my lifeline. I open the door, and instead of going to the bathroom to wash the smell of chlorine from my body, and the horrible memories behind it, I quickly go to my desk.

I open the bottom drawer hastily, making it hit my shin with its sharp edge.

"Agh!" I cry out in pain and crumple to the floor. It shouldn't have hurt this much, but the wooden edge hit straight into a purple bruise. I cradle my right shin in my hands, examining the damage. A thin red line goes straight across my bruise, bleeding slightly in the middle.

I try to ignore the pain as best I can, and gingerly take out a thick, black, leather-bound book. I limp over to my bed, and sit down, propping my now bleeding leg onto a small pile of pillows.

I lay the heavy book across my lap, opening to the first page. It's a scrapbook, filled with pictures of me, Percy, Thalia, Nico, and everyone else from home. Then I flip over to the section with me, Piper, Leo, and Jason.

I finger a picture of us on the boardwalk, each eating ice-cream from a huge bucket, which Leo holds. Then my eyes look to the next picture, where Leo accidentally spilled the whole thing on himself.

A bitter laugh escapes my lips, tears rolling down my cheeks and splattering on the old pages. I clench my jaw, trying not to take the sadness take me over.

I take a large section in between my fingers, and flip the page. A picture of Luke and I is splayed across the page. I'm kissing his cheek in the picture, a white lily tucked behind my earlobe, not looking at the camera. But Luke's smiling directly at me, his smile like a snake's. His frosty blue eyes pierce me, making me flinch.

I grit my teeth, red-hot anger blazing through me. I rip it from the page roughly, the glue slightly yellow from time. I stare Luke down with pure hate, my fingernails creating punctures in the picture. Then I rip the picture apart, shredding it until it's in a million pieces.

The cycle continues, me ripping every single picture with Luke in it, sobbing all through it, my anger and sadness projected at his photo.

I rip the final photo in half, tossing the ragged pieces in the trash bin. I lay down, all the anger drained out of me. But the sadness is still there.

I thought ripping up a photo of someone was supposed to give you a sense of detachment. I want that feeling, but most of all, I want him gone from that book, I want him to stop plaguing my happy memories.

_You! You did this! _My own voice yells in my head.

"Why _did_ I say that?" I wonder out loud. The smell of chlorine fills my nostrils, and my leg begins to throb. Was it just to startle Percy so he would let me go? Or was it for something more? Maybe it was my subconscious way of telling him about Luke, since I'm guessing that Percy is why Luke is beating me...

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. I've never really been that good at drawing, but now I have a sudden urge to do _something, _anything except think of my totally messed up life.

I stand up, and a chill passes through me. I realize that I'm still wearing my swimsuit, and quickly change into a t-shirt and jeans. I limp over to the bathroom and take the old radio I have in there, and set it on my desk.

I turn it on to a random station, and grab a sheet of blank white paper and a pencil.

I start drawing a detailed lily, the way my seventh grade teacher taught me to.

The radio starts playing a melancholy tune, and I grit my teeth. I won't think depressing thoughts, I _will not_ think depressing thoughts.

I quickly change the station, and Coldplay's _Paradise_ fills my ears.

Tears start to well up out of nowhere, and splatter the page, smearing a leaf on the lily.

I quickly wipe them away and clench my jaw. My pencil glides smoothly across the page as I create another petal.

"In the night, the stormy night," I begin singing along softly. My voice wasn't like it was before, it sounds scratchy and pitchy. "She closed her eyes."

I shut my eyes to keep the tears from falling.

"In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly." I sing loudly. My voice sounds more confident and not as shaky as before.

I let the tears fall freely now, creating wet circles on the page, my pencil tracing the final outline of the lily.

* * *

**Percy POV **

I grasp the wheel tightly, Annabeth's phrase trapped in my head. _You! You did this! _

Of course I didn't do that, I would_ never _lay a hand on her! But what else could she mean by that?

I grit my teeth, my knuckles white against the driving wheel. I swear, when I find who, or _what_, did that to her, I'll kill it. She just looked so afraid, so...broken. And her face, her skin, covered with bruises and cuts.

But she didn't have them before I threw her in the pool. What happened to her in there?

I slap my forehead, cringing at my stupidness. Of course, the water! It must've washed off whatever she had been using to cover up! But why did she wan't to hide it from me? I'm her best friend, I want to, I need to help her!

Of course after Annabeth had ran out, we all made a unspoken agreement to leave. Piper looked shocked, and her kaleidoscope eyes were full of worry and concern. For once, Leo didn't look cheerful or happy, instead he looked distressed and distant. Jason's initial expression was cautious, like he was waiting for a cobra to strike. But this makes no sense. He would only be cautious if something big were to happen.

I sigh, throwing my head back in exasperation. What am I supposed to do? Just march up Annabeth and demand answers? Yeah, real subtle.

I just...I just have to know.

I swerve onto a different lane, making people behind me honk in annoyance. But I don't care, I have to know. I head on the road leading to Annabeth's house.

**Please REVIEW! I'm so close to 150!~Wisegirl869  
**

**P.S. I will probably put some Percabeth in the next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

**Enjoy! And remember to REVIEW!**

**Percy POV**

I pull up to her house and climb out of my car. The neighborhood seems too quiet, and a cool breeze blows past me. The hot weather is diminishing quickly, and it's only six. The sun is already starting to dip in the west. I walk to the porch and knock softly on the door.

"Annabeth?" I ask, trying to get her to open the door. I stand there like an idiot for five minutes, when I turn the knob out of pure frustration. The door swings open freely, and I step into the house.

It's weird that the door isn't locked, and it's eerily quiet. I close the door behind me, and walk towards the stairs leading to Annabeth's room. Bobby and Matthew aren't here too. Maybe they're with a friend or something?

I walk quietly up the stairs, letting the wooden railing slide underneath my fingers. I'm not sure what I'm going to find here. But what I want most are answers. But the question is, how will I get them?

And those bruises. How did she possibly get them? And who did that to her?

My hands clench into fists at the thought of her bruises. Who could possibly do so much damage, inflict so much pain, to someone so strong? I swear, when I find out who did that to my Annabeth, they'll pay. Big time.

I pace towards her room slowly, staring at the pictures decorating the walls. There's one of her smiling from a couple years back. Her eyes and bright and joyful, and her hair is loose, tumbling in graceful curls on her shoulders.

I smile, tracing the wooden frame with my index finger. She looks so...beautiful. I shake my head, remembering to focus on the the task at hand.

My hands reach for the doorknob, when I stop. I hear a beautiful, but faint sound coming from the room. I stand near the door, realizing that the melodic sound is Annabeth's singing.

I take in the song she's singing slowly, as if I'm trying to make it last. I haven't heard her sing in so long, and only now I realize how much I have missed it.

"You have suffered enough, and warred with yourself. It's time that you won."

Her last note spreads out, and I hear pain in her voice.

"Take this sinking boat, and point it home, we still got time."

Slowly I recognize the song. I don't remember the name, but I heard it play on the radio once.

"Raise your hopeful voice-" She begins.

"You have a choice." I cut in. Instead of the awful screeching sound I make when I "sing", I have a simple, yet melodic pitch. Not as beautiful as Annabeth's, but it's a lot better than the sounds I usually make.

I hear her take a sharp breath. I guess she didn't realize I was here. My hand reaches to the knob, and I start to push forward.

Annabeth leans against the door, trying to stop me, but she's not quick enough. She doesn't seem as strong as she used to be. She could usually beat almost every boy in arm wrestling, including me. I step slowly in the room, walking towards her.

Her eyes analyze me, as if she's trying to figure out my next move. I hold out my hand to her, a silent compromise. She stares at it, as if it's a bomb waiting to detonate. Her trembling hand slowly goes towards mine, then hesitates. Then she openly accepts it, letting my hand envelop hers completely.

"You've made it known." She finishes.

* * *

**Annabeth POV**

"You've improved." I hear myself say softly. He smiles slightly. I bite my bottom lip, telling myself not to panic. Just act natural. Yeah, right. There's no way I can pull this off.

He leads me to my bed, where we sit next to each other. I look down, fingering the silver sheets awkwardly. I feel Percy's eyes bore into me.

"Annabeth," He begins. I look up sharply, not expecting him to speak.

"Yeah?" I try to say casually. It doesn't work. My voice breaks at the end.

"Are-" He stops, as if hesitating. Then he turns away, looking at the white lily I drew. "Did you draw that?"

I nod, trying to figure him out. He wants something, that's obvious. But he keeps putting it off, like he's afraid to say something wrong.

"It's beautiful." He stares at it, standing up and walking over to pick it up. He takes the paper and sits back down next to me. His finger traces the delicate petals, then move over to the leaves. "I didn't know you were such a talented artist."

I almost snort in disbelief. "Please, I'm not. You're sugarcoating it."

"Well," He says, setting the paper behind me and laying a hand on mine. "We could all use a little sugarcoating, couldn't we?"

I stare at him, trying to figure out what he's trying to say.

He takes a deep breath, and he holds my hand. "Annabeth are you...are you okay?"

Panic shoots through me, and I feel like throwing up. I force down the lump in my throart, and try to act natural.

"Y-yeah, of course." I stutter out. It doesn't sound at all convincing, but I'm still hoping that Percy'll buy it.

"Annabeth. You know I don't believe that." He says gently. His warm hand feels nice against mine, and his eyes are full of concern. Maybe if I just...

"R-really, I'm fine." My voice goes up an octave higher at the end. It's obvious that I'm not, but I have to pull this off, or else...

"Annabeth." His voice is no longer gentle. "Please. I want to help."

Oh god. He knows. He knows. But how could he? No one knows but me, and I certainly haven't told him.

'_You should tell him.'_ A little voice says inside of my head. It's a young girl's voice, sweet as honey, and as convincing as Piper. _'He could help.'_

No! If I tell Percy, he'll surely confront Luke, and then...I'm as good as dead.

'_If you continue down this path, you might as well be dead.' _She says, in the reasoning tone that a mother might use.

But if I just don't tell, everyone will be safe.

'_Everyone but you. You also need to take care of yourself, not just the people you care about.'_

_SHUT UP!_ I scream in my head. _You don't know anything! Just go away!_

And with that, the voice disappears, whispering something faintly._ Brace yourself. _

"I don't need help." I say harshly. I really don't want to be mean to him, but I have to drive him away. The farther away he is, the better.

"Annabeth, please." He pleads, his voice breaking at the end. "I want to protect you."

With those last words, my resolve crumbles. I want to tell him everything, I want to him to save me. The lump in my throat returns, and my breathing turns ragged. I now know that I'm not just doing this for Bobby and Matthew. I'm doing this for Percy as well.

I don't want Luke to hurt him either. Even though he didn't include Percy in the list of people he would hurt if I told, I'm sure he would be included in the wave of destruction Luke would inflict if anyone found out.

"Percy, I...I really don't need protection." I choke out. "Please, just...just leave.

I look down, so I don't have to face him. He stands up, and his hand leaves mine, leaving it still warm from his touch. He treads softly on the floor, his every footstep jabbing my chest with pain. I want to cry out, to tell him to come back. But I know I can't.

Then he turns around, his eyes focused on me. His expression is urgent, like it's life or death.

"Annabeth," He asks softly, walking toward me. "Where-" He hesitates. Then he straightens up determinedly. "Where did those bruises come from?"

"W-what?" I croak, barely able to speak.

"I asked," Percy begins, sitting down next to me, taking my hand gently. "Where those bruises came from." He asks in a gentler tone. His sea-green eyes stare deeply into mine, trying to draw out an answer.

My heart pounds loudly against my chest, and I'm pretty sure Percy can hear. My hands are shaking from fear, and I have to force myself to take deep breaths.

And to my horror, a tear drips from my eye, smudging the thick layer of makeup I reapplied.

"I-I can't tell you." I say in a hoarse voice. Percy looks at me with a strange expression, almost like he wants to take back what he just said.

"But why?" he presses me. He puts a tentative hand on my cheek, spreading warmth on my face. His thumb brushes against my cheek gently, sweeping away a layer of makeup, revealing a purple bruise. "Why all the secrecy?"

"Because if I told...people would get hurt. People I care about." I say, now letting the tears fall freely.

"And what about you?" Percy says, sounding upset. "What about _you_ getting hurt?"

"I guess I don't matter that much to myself. At least, not compared to those people." I say, looking down.

"Well, you should." And with that, he lifts my chin gently with two fingers so I can face him. He leans slowly towards me, and my heart slams against my chest, my fingers curled tightly on his lap.

His lips barely brush mine, when the door swings open.

* * *

Luke steps in, looking slightly surprised. We jump apart, leaving a warm, tingling sensation that spreads through me, leaving me in wonderful bliss. But I can't enjoy it for long.

Luke's surprise turns into cold anger, as his eyes rip through me. My heart practically stops, and I have trouble breathing. I stare back, waiting. Waiting for the screams, the horrible words, the blood.

Percy stands up, looking from me to Luke, as if he's finally connecting the missing pieces. Then his eyes widen. His reaction turns from shock, to red-hot anger to match Luke's.

"You? You did this?!" Percy yells. He walks toward Luke, his hands curled into hard fists.

But Luke keeps on staring at me, never breaking his gaze. His mouth begins to move, and I realize he's mouthing something.

'_Dead' _

And I now know, I am truly about to die.

**OHMYGODS! I just love to torture you guys with cliffhangers, don't I? Anyway, please review! I worked very hard on this chapter, and would like to hear your reactions!~•Wisegirl869•**


	15. Chapter 15

**Annabeth POV**

**Hey you guys! Yeah, I'm not dead, just been really busy. A lot of stuff has been happening (good stuff for once) and I haven't had time for my stories. Please accept my pathetic apologies, yadda yadda yadda. Oh, and don't forget to read the AN below, I have a new idea for the story! Enjoy!**

Percy swings at Luke, his eyes burning with hatred. With one expert move, Luke grabs Percy's wrist, twists it, and shoves forcefully him out of the room, his eyes still trained on me. Percy lands sprawled across the floor, and Luke quickly locks the door. Then, he moves my dresser in front of the door.

This is how and when I will die. With me trapped inside a room with Luke. I just hope Percy leaves now, while he still can.

Luke whirls around, walking quickly towards me, his hands clenched into fists. I back up against a wall, bracing myself for impact.

_Brace yourself_

That's what the voice said. Was this was she meant? Or was it the kiss?

Luke fist collides with my stomach, making me crumple to the ground. But he yanks up my hair, clearly not done with me.

"Luke, please." I say, still trying to catch my breath. "The kiss meant nothing, it was-"

His slap stops me short, leaving a harsh burning sensation.

"Shut up, you worthless piece of shit!" he yells, yanking on my hair again. I hear pounding on the door, and I want to scream for Percy to leave. But I know if I do, it'll just get worse for me.

"I told you...what would...happen...IF YOU TOLD!" he screams, slamming my head against the wall with every word.

"Luke, I never told, I-" I get out, my head spinning.

"Like I would believe a lying little slut like you!" he sneers, a blow knocking me to the ground. He starts kicking me around forcefully, like a soccer ball. I yell with pain at every blow, and the pounding on the door grows more incessant.

"Go, Percy!" I yell weakly, trying desperately to fill my lungs with air. But the pounding continues, and sounds of glass smashing begin.

Luke's eyes narrow. "Trying to save lover boy, aren't you?" He sneers, yanking up my hair, forcing me to stand up. "Good, he better get away now. Because when I'm done with you, I'm going to hunt him down. And then..."

He laughs like a mad man, then his lips form into a cruel smile. "Bobby and Matthew are next." he whispers in my ear, with the promise of blood. His breath smells strange and lingers on me, like ash from a cigarette.

Bobby and Matthew, next? It takes me a second to process what he just said, and when it does, the impact is worse than any hit Luke could inflict. After all I've done, after all the suffering and secrecy I've had to endure since that day during spring break, he's still going to hurt them? No. I won't let that happen. I will do anything to stop him, even have him take my own life, if it comes to it.

"Luke, please!" I beg. "You can beat me within an inch of my life, just please don't hurt them."

A slap stings my cheeks, and my eyes fill with tears.

"Shut up."

He starts to punch me repeatedly, every blow causing a sharp cry of pain. The pounding grows more incessant, and my vision starts to grow fuzzy...

* * *

**Percy POV**

I swear I'm going to kill him. I swear I'm going to kill that monster, that-that _thing_, for ever touching my Annabeth.

I have to do something, I can't just stand here, listening to Annabeth screaming, and doing nothing about it. Screams of pain ring through the door, and I start yelling in outrage, pounding on the door.

I run to the kitchen, going quickly through the drawers, desperatley trying to find something, anything. Then, I see it. A large meat cleaver, with a cruel, sharp edge. Next to it is a delicate looking knife, with a slightly curved edge, a thin, sharpened point, and a decorative engraving.

I pick up both, and race back upstairs, the sounds of screaming and sobbing drawing me back. I try picking the lock with the smaller knife, jamming it in the keyhole and twisting it. The sound of metal screeching fills my ears, and I cringe. I wish the Stolls were here right now.

They've done it all, broken-and-entered, hotwired cars, you name it. Me? I'm hopeless.

I take the the meat cleaver and thrust it onto the door, twisting it, splintering the wood. I hear more screams, and I twist harder. My breathing turns ragged as I take out the knife. I've made a large hole in the door, but there's something bigger blocking it, something that will take forever for the knife to make a hole through the hard material. And by then...

My thoughts are interrupted by a sharp knocking at the door, and I ignore it, trying to make a dent into the tough structure. But the person at the door knocks louder, obviously not ready to give up yet. Now two fists begin to pound on the door. Oh no, please don't let it be them, let it be _anyone_ but them.

I drop the knife and race to the door, trying to get as fast to the door as possible. I open the door, and my worst suspicions are confirmed. Bobby and Matthew are standing in front of me, looking confused and concerned.

"Percy?" Matthew asks, stepping closer to the door. "What are you doing here?"

"And what's going on?" Bobby cuts in. "We heard screaming, is Annabeth okay?"

I inhale sharply, panicking on the inside. What was I supposed to do about these two? I can't just leave them out here, and if I bring them inside, they'll surely be hurt. Like Annabeth is.

My hands clench at the thought of her, and my resolve hardens.

"Come in. Don't make a sound, and follow me. Be extremely careful." I say seriously, locking eyes with them both. Bobby looks like he wants to say something, but something in my tone must've convinced him that it's life-or-death.

They follow me soundlessly into the house, Annabeth's screams filling the house in a terrible chorus. Matthew's biting his lip, trying to keep the questions from spilling out. Bobby is looking at the floor, obviously deep in thought.

In the fading light outside, and darkened mood in the house, they both look much older than eleven. Their eyes are downcast, trying to figure out what's going on, who's screaming upstairs, and why.

I can't answer those questions, since I barely know what's going on. All I know is that the people I love are in danger, and I need to do something.

I lead them downstairs into the basement, the darkness cold and uninviting. We walk down the stairs, their feet making soft pats on the old wooden steps. They take each other's hands, and I realize how scared they must be.

How would I feel if one of my sibling's friends opened the door of my house, ordered me into the basement, while I heard familiar-sounding screams coming from my sister's room? Scared and confused. That's how I would feel. And that's what I see in Bobby and Matthew's faces.

But I can't back down now. Not while the stakes are so high, and the price of failure so great.

I hastily push aside a few heavy boxes, and the thick layer of dust fills the musty air, making the gloom even heavier. A small door appears, which was once hidden behind old crinkled boxes. I take the doorknob and twist it slowly. The door emits a high-pitch screech, refusing to open. I pull it, ignoring the protests of the hinges, revealing a small closet with a couple of brooms cluttered on the side, and a bulb with a frayed string attached to it. A low shelf rests on the right side of the small space, with an old phone plugged in the wall, probably broken.

"Go." I command.

"Why?" Bobby asks, breaking their silence. "What's going on?"

I can't tell them. They would only panic and cause more danger for themselves and Annabeth.

"I don't know." I half-lie. Because I barely can process what's going on, or even why. All I know is that we're all in danger, and I have to do something about it. "All I know is that if that you stay out there, bad things will happen. I need you to stay here and be _silent_. No one can know you're here."

Bobby looks like he's about to argue with me, but Matthew stares at me, analyzing the situation, trying to figure out what's going on. He almost looks like Annabeth when she's trying to figure something out that's important. Finally, he rests a hand on Bobby's shoulder.

"Bobby," he speaks softly. "We need to do what Percy says."

"But why?" Bobby insists, directing his gaze towards Matthew now.

"I don't know. But," He turns towards me, his eyes digging through me. "I know he's telling the truth." His eyes show fear, but behind that...trust.

Bobby's lips tighten and his hands clench. But he steps into the closet without a word, solemn and deep in thought. Matthew walks towards the closet, but at the last minute, he turns around and his eyes flash with dependence and sadness.

_Help her_

That's what he mouths right before he steps into the closet. My eyes widen with realization. He knows. I don't know how, but he does. I give my head a slight nod to show him that I understand. His eyes light up for a second, and a small smile appear, then disappear as quickly as they arrived.

I shut the door quickly, my mind still reeling with the events going on. My heart pounding, another scream fills my ears, and I hastily shove the boxes back in their original position. I race up the stairs, the screams calling me back.

My fingers reach for the knives, and I continue hacking away, the screams of pain the only thing keeping me from collapsing from shock and confusion.

**Don't worry, it's not over yet. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Anyway, I'm thinking about adding a Luke POV in the next chapter. Tell me what you think with a review please! **

**Also, did you guys hear about the government shutdown? I think it's pretty stupid, but then again I've never been one to get involved in politics. A bunch of people sitting in a room arguing endlessly and getting _paid_ for it? I do that on a daily basis, for crying out loud!**

**HOUSE OF HADES IN 3 DAYS! •~Wisegirl~•**


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